Magic Bears Capricious Fruit
by Knight of L-sama
Summary: [COMPLETE] At long last! Zel's cure has appeared before him! Wait a minute. Something's wrong. Gah! No worries! It's Sylphiel to the rescue! Or is it? Please R&R!
1. Ch 1 A Cure at Last? Impossible!

A/N: Self-Played Fanfare Hey! I'm back! - And this time, I finished my original story and edited it myself! Yay! (I still want someone else to edit it though…email me at if you're willing to read through some 250 pages, thx!) So I thought it safe to begin another fanfic. This one... is a sequel to Liona's Quest. Lina is about 43 so....Liona is 25...- For their group of friends, it's around the same age as them respectively, in a rough approximation.

What's this story about? Well, I've realized how little attention is paid to Sylphiel, so hopefully, this story will bring out the best and worst in her. It may take a bit of work considering Gourry and Lina have been together so long, but I'm hoping! - Oh, if I happen to go all perfect and Mary-sueish on one or more of the characters...please forgive. It's a bad habit of mine when I don't realize what I'm doing. Hey, if you can't have at least one perfect person, how do you determine how non-perfect the rest are? Stereotypes are bad you know, and actions sometimes belie the truth. Blah, enough with that. On with the story.

Disclaimer: Ah, I haven't said this in such a long time...I DON'T OWN SLAYERS!!! Woot! - Ah, that was fun...

Magic Bears Capricious Fruit

Ch. 1: A Cure at Last? Impossible!

Sylphiel Rels Nada collapsed into her chair, more exhausted than she could ever remember. After ordering a pot of jasmine tea, Sylphiel squirmed to compose herself- adjusting her cloak here, smoothing out wrinkles there. It wasn't as if she was expecting anyone important- it was just a small habit of hers. After all, it never hurt to look a bit nicer than otherwise, no? Of course, her dust blanketed clothes, skin, and hair did nothing to improve the situation. With a sigh, she thanked the waitress who brought her tea, before rummaging to pull an equally battered map of the Old World from her cloak.

On the map, over delicate, ink-drawn geographical features and cities, a clear solid line zigzagged all over it. The line marked Sylphiel's trek in search of an elusive cure for a dear friend's mysterious illness. Even a visiting dragon priestess could not cure her of it, a sign in and of itself that told them it was serious. Thankfully, the last time she checked, it wasn't contagious, but she didn't want to risk her friend dying from it, of that she was certain. So she had volunteered to scour the lands for someone or something that could.

Sylphiel sighed again, leaning back while staring at the map. "I'm getting too old for this." Even though she was only forty-four, and being a mage helped slow the aging process, she still grew wary easily. "Then again, adventures and conquests were never really my cup of tea."

"Oh, I don't know about that; you're as fit as a fiddle compared to some others I've seen of late."

The sudden new voice made Sylphiel snap her head up like a deer caught in the headlights. A young woman, perhaps in her mid twenties, watched with avid amusement from the chair across from her, a chair that had been vacant just moments before.

The woman's kind smile broadened a little. As if sensing her surprise and unease, she added, "I apologize if I gave you a fright; it's a woe begotten triviality I always seem to forget."

When Sylphiel realized that she was staring, she blinked and shook her head. "No, no, it's all right; you just surprised me a little."

The woman's face remained placid as Sylphiel took a calming sip from her tea cup. Watching the stranger from over the rim of her cup, Sylphiel's eyes narrowed. Upon setting her cup down, she started, "Who-"

"Who am I?" the stranger interrupted, obviously a type who was hard to judge accurately. Sylphiel could only nod.

Her smile brightened for a few moments, perhaps in self-satisfaction of being correct, before she answered. "I've been called many things, some of which I care not to repeat, but most know me as simply 'Liona'. Do you have any other questions for me, Sylphiel Rels Nada?"

At that, Sylphiel jumped slighting in surprise. Liona once again anticipated her question, and waved it off carelessly. "I have my sources. But I really must wonder, where, pray tell, are you headed? Surely this is a bit far off from New Sairaag, is it not? You also mentioned adventures and conquests, and I find myself curious about the details."

Liona seemed to sense the hesitance in Sylphiel's eyes. "Again, please forgive my forwardness. I hear things, and I get the yearning to here it all from their source."

Sylphiel studied Liona's face for a few moments, before sighing and answering with a shrug, "No, it's nothing, quite all right. I have no problem with telling you, but...if I may? Is it possible that you-"

With a grin, Liona finished her question again. "-can read minds? Yes, from time to time, but only from those who live their lives with good intentions, and only when I care to."

Sylphiel's gaze turned to her tea as she began at a murmur, "I see. Well, in all honesty, I'm searching for a cure to a new disease that one of my closest friends came down with a few weeks back. I haven't had much luck so far, I'm afraid. This new disease produces very unusual side-effects."

When Sylphiel paused, Liona softly prompted, "Such as?"

Instinctively, Sylphiel looked to the ceiling for answers as she counted them off on her fingers. "Well, her skin has turned blue all over, her hair is as coarse and as sharp as strands of wire, scores of dark gray lumps have appeared nearly everywhere… and… um… oh, she says her hearing has become so good, it hurts."

Sylphiel turned her glance back to Liona, to see amusement highlighting her crimson eyes. She gave a questioning look, but Liona shook her head. "I have a feeling 'disease' isn't quite the word for that. It sounds like your friend has become a second-hand chimera. Tell me, has she been in close physical contact with another of that description?"

"I don't-" Sylphiel paused as a sudden image came to her. Her eyes widened in almost certain dismay. "Zelgadis-san…"

If Sylphiel had not been so suddenly enraptured by this new revelation, she might have caught the blur of recognition that clouded Liona's eyes then. But before she could take notice, Liona blinked and returned to her previous calm demeanor.

"A friend?"

Sylphiel absently nodded. "More a friend of a friend of a dear friend, actually. Zelgadis-san scourges the world in search of his own cure- in his youth, he'd been turned into a chimera by Rezo the Red Priest. Sometimes he travels with Lina-san, and my dear Gourry."

Liona twitched at the mention of each name, but again abandoned it without notice. Her face and voice remained calm as she added in a bit of interest. "You care for this…Gourry?"

Her blush snapped Sylphiel back into focus. Glancing shyly up at Liona, her eyes told of her unrequited love. "Yes," She continued unnecessarily, "I know Gourry-san and Lina-san love each other, and I've accepted that, but old habits die hard, I suppose."

Sensing Liona's amusement, she questioned it; the feeling evaporated midst a cloud of mock confusion. "I'm not sure, but it's nothing to dwell on. Hmm…so what is it that happened with 'Zelgadis-san'?"

In soft contemplation, Sylphiel answered, "Zelgadis-san stayed in my friend's home…for about a month while he searched the city's libraries. Afterward, he left without a word, from what my friend told me. A few weeks later, I visited my friend, and she had already assumed her current state."

The amusement returned, but this time, Liona revealed the reason behind it, somewhat. "Ah yes. I had guessed it when you first described it, but this makes me certain of it." At her companion's questioning look, Liona merely asked, "How long have they been like this, your friend and Zelgadis-san?"

"My friend has been, well, a chimera I suppose for oh…about five or six weeks now, I think. And Zelgadis-san…" Sylphiel paused as she counted on her fingers. "I believe it's close to twenty-five years now."

Liona let a wry smile pass across her expression before she extended her hand over the table. "Would you please hold out your hands for me?"

Sylphiel did as she was asked, curious as a newborn kitten. She looked down to her hands from Liona's smile when she felt the soft velvet. A pair of small, drawstring pouches lay there- one white, one red. As Sylphiel peeked into them, Liona explained their contents.

"The little tablets in the white pouch contain a special spell that when consumed with a drink of some kind, will cure the body of all ailments and curses. The red pouch's tablets will reverse the effects of its white twin. Be careful not to get them mixed up."

Sylphiel frowned, thrilled but bewildered. "But if they have the cure, why would they want to take it away again?"

Liona smiled, expecting this question. "Because sometimes, we learn that a curse can be more helpful active than not. Mmm…oh yes, I almost forgot. Here you are." Liona opened her fist again and a green pouch to match the white and red fell into Sylphiel's hands. "This one's for your use, though feel free to distribute it as you will. These tablets restore energy, both physical and magical. Each of these pouches is self restorative, so even if you make a mistake or drop one accidentally, you'll still have more."

With a soft sigh, Liona stood up. "Now then… I regret to say that I must now leave elsewhere. Please tell your friends that one pill is sufficient per case. Take care; I bid thee adieu, Sylphiel of Sairaag."

Before Sylphiel could utter even a single protest, let alone a thank you, a sharp clang distracted her attention for the shortest of seconds. When she looked back, Liona was gone.

Sylphiel's gaze eventually returned to the pouches. It seemed that Zelgadis-san and Princess Amelia would be receiving an interesting gift for the Winter Solstice Festival.

A/N: Meh, I know it's short, but I have to get my thoughts together, and consider the best way to do this on my little knowledge of Sylphiel, and still make it as humorous as my ability allows me in my situation. If I succeed, please tell me so in a review; just one is enough to make my day! - Happy Holidays!


	2. Ch 2 Hah! It Worked! Eh? Oh No!

A/N: Mmm…two reviews huh? Well, not a bad start- considering my lack of faith in my writing at the moment…--shakes head determinedly—Well, I'll try my best. Tell me how it is on the receiving end, if you please. -

Oh, replies to reviews- might as well get a head start.

**Winged Knight:** Yup yup, Liona's up and about- what, you think I'd actually kill off the daughter I had my once favorite couple spawn? Bah, such rubbish. As to Zelgadis' curse spreading…--evil glint—well, you should be able to guess, if not be told, in this chapter. - --wonders innocently—I'm setting it deep? Really? Well…humans are humans- we expect more than is actually there…as may be the case with Sylphiel. - Thx for the review!

**Masaki1:** OoX There's another Sylphiel MC history fanfic? Ooh please tell me- I want to read it! (for dear ol' Curiosity's sake) Thx for your review, hope I get you hooked! XP (though, don't be surprised if you're disappointed)

Disclaimer: Ahh…to be back in fanfiction…and disclaimers…--takes deep breath—**I do not own Slayers**. -

Ch. 2: Hah It Worked! Eh? Oh No!

The sky seemed to be clearing as Sylphiel paused at a bluff overlooking Seyruun's capital. The recent rains undoubtedly slowed the festivities, but if Seyruun's people were as determined as their Queen, they would only work overtime to get it punctually prepared.

It had been a week since her encounter with Liona. Though she had met virtually no opposition on her return trip, the distance between her location and Seyruun was still far enough to not permit a hasty journey. During that time, Sylphiel had contemplated the pouches, performed analysis magic on the pills, and had deemed them not only safe, but containing a large probability of being very beneficial. This Liona knew her medicines well, though Sylphiel herself knew not the textbook nature of this cure. She wondered how Zelgadis-san would react, after so many years of futile searching.

By high noon, she had bypassed both the city gates and the castle gates. With an acquaintance like Lina Inverse, no veteran would soon forget any of the Queen's close friends. The new guards were even trained to recognize and allow them to pass. Thus so, what would have been a three hour paper-signing ordeal became three seconds of stating one's name. Zelgadis was notified, seeing that he was the only one permitted to speak with the Queen, as she had locked herself in her royal chambers, refusing to meet the people since the incident.

He met her as she approached the throne room; he was still obviously a chimera, though he was now adorned in the royal robes that were fit to be seen associated with the Queen. It didn't matter that he was a dear friend of the Queen; the people needed a tangible hope that the Queen would marry- another reason to celebrate. The Queen had already spent nearly ten years ruling alone, though she had help from her advisors. As much as they loved her…anyone who knew her and saw her knew that she wished for more…for more companionship.

"Sylphiel!" The normally grim chimera forced a smile despite the circumstances. "You're back already? Did you receive any news?"

The priestess smiled gently. Times were tough for him, taking care of the Queen, while consulting her as to matters of the people, and relaying them to the people who could carry out her wishes. He was practically in the role of King already; all that was left was a wedding and coronation. Amelia had already asked once, before she was crowned Queen, if Zelgadis would stay by her side as King. He had confessed his love then, but said the people would not take kindly to a chimera for a King. As her tears overflowed, he wiped them away and promised to take up her offer when he had been cured, if only she would wait. She did. She had. She still was.

"Yes, very good news actually. May I please see Amelia-sama now? Of course, you should be there to hear this as well."

Zelgadis paused, saw the appeased glint in her eyes, the excited flush in her cheeks, the confident curve of her smile, and nodded. He walked past Sylphiel and told her to follow him. In the many years that he had searched, his hope had waned severely, but Sylphiel…there was something about her now that gave him hope. Could it be? After all these years? No. He would _not_ get his hopes up. High hopes only ended in a more gruesome failure. Still…Hope had a mind of its own; he could not squish it out of his system entirely.

Zelgadis' stone knuckles tapped on the surface of the door. The door in itself was grandiose in appearance, befitting of a well-loved, proportionately modest Queen. There was a rustling, and a timid voice crossed the wooden barrier. "Who…who is it?"

"Amelia, it's me. Sylphiel's with me, too. She says she has some good news for us. Can we come in?"

More rustling ensued after a hesitating silence. The pattering of footfalls could be heard, and the door clicked unlocked before opening; Amelia was opening the door while hiding behind it. Used to this behavior by now, Zelgadis slid through the break in the entrance, and Sylphiel followed suit. Once they were safely through, the door was shut and locked again. Sylphiel took a deep breath, and turned to look at her Queen. If her breath had not been held, she might have found it much harder to fight down a gasp of surprise.

The once vivacious justice-loving girl had been subdued by weeks of entrapment in her own home. Her beautiful raven tresses were tightened into a slightly bleached mess of silvery violet. Her once pale but healthy skin had turned an astonishing slate blue. And her eyes…felt like a pair of endless depths of darkness, though a shimmer of hope now flickered midst it. With one hand closed over a fist, touching her chin as her hope filtered through more, she asked, "It's been a while, how are you Sylphiel-san?"

Sylphiel murmured, "It might be best if you sat down for this." As sleep-seeking shadows traced her eyes, she made a shaky nod. Zelgadis led her over to a pair of divans facing each other. While they shared one, Sylphiel sat across, for better eye contact. Taking a deep breath, she told of her encounter. At the first mention of Liona, both of their eyes widened, in shocked disbelief. They had known what Liona was capable of, far better than Sylphiel. But to have her simply hand over a cure, when no consequences were revealed at the same time? Something had to be up.

As Amelia was passed the pills however, her eyes widened still more. Awestruck, she told them, "These…tablets. They're, they're made from medicine _outside_ the barrier, and mixed with pure holy magic (well, pure as opposed to holy and white magic, for instance). Holy magic lost since the Kouma War…Incredible!"

Zelgadis nodded. He turned to Sylphiel. They had listened to her story- it was time for questioning. "She didn't ask for anything in return? Are you sure?"

Sylphiel nodded. "By my guess, considering how long you were a chimera, she was probably thinking that the adaptation back to full human form would be enough. After all, being a chimera boosts your speed and magic ability, does it not? Then you have the other pills to return to a chimera, if you feel that you no longer wish for a completely human form."

He scoffed at that. "Why _wouldn't _I want to be human again? I've spent my whole life searching for the cure, disregarding anything else. As a human, I can marry Amelia, finally."

Amelia smiled wanly, but it soon faded. "I never cared what you looked like Zelgadis-san. I don't care what _I_ look like, really, either. But…you should know…I don't think the people could handle a chimeric Queen with an illegitimate child. But…with _you_ as a chimera…I know my kingdom will be safe. I feel it."

Zelgadis clasped Amelia's hands in his and locked eyes with her. "I will protect you, our child, and all of Seyruun just as well when I'm human Amelia. I swear I will."

Amelia looked down, and Sylphiel sensed her unease. She, too, knew that something wouldn't turn out as expected. Regardless, the Queen lifted her head, presenting a smile befitting of their beloved ruler. "Well, with the reversal tablets, there's no harm in trying, right?"

Her husband-to-be nodded with excitement. "I'll get some water to wash it down with…"

"No need to get up. Here you are." They looked across the way to see that Sylphiel had already gotten up and was now setting down a tray with three filled glasses on the coffee table.

Wordlessly, they all picked up a pill in one hand, and a glass in the other. Sylphiel had the green pill, while both of her friends held a white pill. As one, they dropped it into their saliva ridden traps, and gulped it down with a swig of purified water.

The effects were only delayed by a moment's notice, enough to set down their glasses and blink. All began to glow with an aura matching that of their pills' color. Sylphiel felt a rushing sense of ease and strength, as if she had just taken a long dip in a hot spring and slept for three days. Amelia felt like a burden was being lifted from every inch of her body, and a healthy hue returned to her cheeks. For Zelgadis, the process was only a second or two longer, and a bit harder to cope with, but it seemed to have worked. When they looked back at him, they were as surprised to see Zelgadis human as Sylphiel was to see Amelia a chimera.

As a stirring wind faded, Zelgadis' lofty coffee-shaded hair descended around his stone-cleared face, his eyes widened to that of an average human's rather than a part demon's. His skin was only slightly darker than Amelia's, but it was a pleasant tan. He was just as handsome as his chimera form, but with a lighter presence of being.

He couldn't help but stare at his hands in wonder, though no one held it against him for doing so. It _had_ been over twenty-five years. Eventually, he looked up to see Amelia and Sylphiel smiling at him. With a gulp, he whispered, "I'm…I'm really human again?"

Both broadened their smiles and nodded. Mutely aware of the water, they stood for a breathtaking bear hug. When Zelgadis went to lift them both into the air in his happiness, he noticed it, and had to end the lift prematurely. A shocked look on his face, he returned to staring at his hands. Knowing the problem, Sylphiel murmured, "Well, demons and golems _are_ a bit stronger than most humans…as far as physical and magical powers go. You just need to get used to it."

Suddenly out of sorts, Zelgadis ran to the window and opened it. With rushed panic, he released a Rah Tilt. At least…he tried to. The spirit magic dissipated into the air just a few feet away. With a growl, he tried a Flare Lance. It came out the size of a single Flare Arrow, that weakened and fell. Hope gone with the wind, he slumped down against the wall. He was human again, all right. A human as weak as he was before Rezo cursed him, and as magically defunct as Lina during her 'time of the month'. Was it really worth it, even as easy as the cure had been?

Both girls sensed his loss of vigor and moved slowly towards him. Now Amelia held Zelgadis' hands, his perfect human hands, and told him. "You've learned it all before. You've used it for a long time. This will pass quickly, I just know it."

Zelgadis smiled wanly at her attempts, and gripped her hands with his to show he knew. With a sigh, he remarked to the ceiling, "Well, an experiment has been started- might as well finish it. In the mean time…I think we should keep these pills in a safe place, right?"

Amelia nodded. "I'll have them secured in the royal vault. But just in case…for emergencies…we should probably store some at our sides as well, in case we're ambushed or something of that nature."

Her companions acquiesced to her suggestion. Sylphiel put in her two cents now. "Zelgadis-san…if it bothers you, why not train in the royal magic arena? It's most likely unused right now, and there are orihalcon targets there to practice with. I'm sure a little time could mend your weakened state easily. That'd be alright, wouldn't it Amelia-sama?"

Again, Amelia nodded once. "Of course it is. Zelgadis, would you like to?"

Zelgadis let out a hearty laugh then. The girls waited until his mirth subsided before hearing the reason. "Without having to search for my cure, half my days have been suddenly freed up. Yes, I think I _will_ train some. Amelia? Sylphiel? What are _you_ going to do?"

Amelia answered first, her smile still bright. "I think it's time I hold a conference with all of my officials; they must have been worried- and all that paper work to do as well. I'll go from there."

"I think I'll go into town and purchase some magical provisions. Three safeguard pouches to hold pills for one. May I take the original pouches with me? Their regeneration power…I may be able to learn how to duplicate it."

With confident, red blood flowing in his veins, Zelgadis stood, as did Amelia and Sylphiel. "We'll meet up again at dinner then, I suppose?"

They nodded in affirmation, shared their smile and the same gleeful look in their eyes, and departed towards the door. Sylphiel went towards her own chambers, to soak in her private tub that would soon be filled with soothing hot water. Zelgadis left to travel down towards the dungeon, parting at the fork that distinguished the prisons from the arena. As for Amelia, she eased the door shut a few moments after their departing goodbyes, and set about to refurnish her image.

At dinner, most everyone awaited the Queen in the private dining hall. Just past an hour after the serving moment came upon them, the Queen burst into the room, out of breath and strands of hair coming loose from her braid- she had grown it out to be just like Naga's, her sister's.

"Zelgadis-san, Sylphiel-san! There's trouble! Big trouble! Lina's…Lina is…"

She trailed off then, and fell forward as if in a faint.

A/N: - I know I know…I'm evil aren't I? If not for doing something more to Lina, then for ending it here. Oh well. It's my story :P Please review- I'll return next week! -


	3. Ch 3 A Quest of Unearthly Proportions

A/N: Ah, it's tiring writing fanfics suddenly. Oh wells. I'll plow through- tolerance should be observed.

**Masaki1:** I looked up faces and since it was long, I decided to wait until later. Thanks for the tip though. Hope you stay around to evaluate mine (though, I have no doubt whatsoever that there are many many more that are better than mine)

**Winged Knight: **Hah, yes. Indeed, I agree with your points. No, I won't submit to having ol' Shabby reborn. Though, if no one has suggestions…I might have to go off on a strange tangent (as adventures are never nearly as fun without enemies). Mm…Well, you'll just have to stick around and see, ne? ;)

**Bluediamond**Oh don't worry about spouting randomness. It works well for freeing up unnecessary clutter in the ol' noggin. Hope you come back regardless!

Disclaimer: --Sigh—If I _owned_ Slayers, I wouldn't be writing _fanfiction_. Geez louise these people are finicky.

Ch. 3: A Quest of Unearthly Proportions

Zelgadis mentally told his body to run; such an action would have had his body immediately at his destination with the speed of his demon counterpart. But no, his completely human mind could not compensate in the same manner. He had to _force _his body to run, and even then, the surprise and lack of _proper_ exercise did not allow him the velocity required to catch the Queen before she fell. Surprisingly, Sylphiel _did_. When he finally ran up to them, he noted that the Sairaag shrine maiden was just as baffled.

He checked Amelia, and was gratified that not only was she all right, she was conscious and desperately trying to hold in mirth. Urgently, softly, he confirmed his check with her, before asking what she meant about Lina. Taking a deep gasp of breath, Amelia eventually calmed down enough to sit properly at the table and explain.

"Lina-san… she… sent a letter to me by messenger… Luna-san's out of the country on an expedition in the outer world… and her house…" Amelia had to stop to giggle like the young girl her spirit undoubtedly was. Her audience awaited her continuation on anxious jitters. What she finally said though, knocked their chairs over in such surprise that the occupants fell with them. "Her house was magicked to be infested with an unending supply of slugs and snails. She and Gourry-san were luckily visiting a magic shop at the time, but Lina-san was apparently infuriated, flabbergasted, and utterly sickened. She thinks a trickster of a monster was responsible for it, but she can't find any trace of the culprit. And even with her level of magic, she refuses to go anywhere near it, and requires reinforcements. She says it's crucial that it comes before the next full moon, because that's when Luna-san comes back, and she doesn't want it to be all slimed when she returns."

There was a brief pause of the information sinking in before… peels of laughter erupted from both audience and teller. Since their adventure days with Lina, they all knew that there were two things she was afraid of. One, her older sister Luna, and two, slugs and snails. The brilliant combination of tactics could only have been executed by one who knew Lina, and wished to torture her with endless nightmares and taunts during the day. It was obvious who was behind it, but the absurdity of it all had gotten to them before the dangerous aspect. If Lina could not enter her home, or the restaurant upon which it was situated, or the secret library below that, no customers would enter either. And that was a fatal plan more brutal than the punishment she would gain for getting the whole establishment slimed. Once they sobered up however, they delved into more details.

"Apparently, the creatures have been contained to the property strictly belonging to the Inverses," Amelia explained, "However, in doing so, their reproduction rate is phenomenally explosive. According to the dates she sent me, in two days from its start, there were approximately one thousand slugs and snails combined, each the size of a bloated rat. Lina-san actually sounded panicked in her letter- a fact of which startled me immensely in and of itself."

Zel mulled through the information carefully, catching the gist of it. "So she wants us to come and bail her out?"

At her nod, Sylphiel asked, "What about Gourry dear?"

Amelia grimaced, remembering the contents of the letter. "Obviously, Lina-san had Gourry-san go into the building first as soon as she recognized the snail for what it was. He sliced at it with his sword- it was a special Inverse branded magic sword too- and the snail sucked it in, almost catching Gourry-san in the process. That one grew bigger, and is apparently the strongest and the ring leader, so to speak. Gourry-san and Lina-san are staying at a family friend's home while they try to extinguish the smaller menaces by daylight."

With the grimmest of expressions, Amelia added, "What's worse, Lina-san is so worried about what her sister is going to do to her… that she can barely eat. According to Gourry's letter that was included in the packet… she only eats three or four plates every day."

A stunned silence filled the room. Things were _definitely_ bad if Lina stopped eating her normal amount. Just how bad _were her sister's punishments_, to still be scared of them at 43-years old?

Zelgadis nodded, as did Sylphiel. "I guess that settles that then. Tomorrow morning, we set out for Zephilia."

Amelia had a look of sudden forlornness. "Unfortunately, as much as I wish it otherwise, I must remain here. My council… has gained a sudden boost of fear for my safety. I must stay to reassure the people of my presence."

Her companions nodded in silent understanding. The meal was brought in on silver platters, and dinner began.

Zelgadis and Sylphiel silently turned back, and made parting gestures to the Queen whilst the sun crept up behind them. They were on their way.

Not a soul was up at this insane time- the rooster had not even crowed its "song" to the rise of the sun. It must have slept in. The trees rustled with the breeze of the long winter night, as expected so near to the Winter Solitice. If they did not rush, they would miss the festival due to arrive in a week's time. Fortunately, it should have been a relatively short journey, given they had their mounts- a factor they began with.

Within the first hour, they were shrouded in the deep forest, their horses going at a pleasant trot at times, a leisurely walk when they wished to laze about on the job. Neither minded. They had two weeks to make a two day horseback journey. As long as nothing went wrong…but of course, hoping such only jinxed them.

It started when they stopped for the night. Sylphiel offered to collect firewood, while Zelgadis hunted. Having returned early, Sylphiel decided, after placing the firewood as it should be, to retrieve water as well. That was her first mistake.

Sylphiel scrounged around the trees, using her tracking spell to locate the nearest fresh water. She had improved since her stick-dropping days, and could now do so by using her spell on a compass, a bewildering contraption brought back from the Outer World Nautical Investigation team. Near where she smelled the special scent of water, she heard low voices. Cautiously, she crouched behind the bushes, separately a small part to see through it. An immediate blush spread across her cheeks, and she quickly turned away. The sudden jerk alerted the occupant of the small lake, and a voice hailed her with surprising pleasantry. "You there, the one trying to hide in the bushes. Come out so we can see your face, why don'tcha?"

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Sylphiel slowly stood up, still somewhat shrouded by the shadow of the trees. But she could see the speaker quite well…and a part of his companion. Both, it seemed, had been taking a rather affectionate bath. The male literally had dirty blond hair- he apparently hadn't washed himself very well just yet- with alluringly gentle sapphire eyes. With the way he grinned, it seemed nearly obvious that he could see her very well, and with being a shrine maiden who dabbled in the spells of Dark Lords (namely in the form of a Dragon Slave), her figure had been quite well preserved.

Soon, he made it clear he knew why she hesitated to come near, and disposed of said reason. With a puff of smoke, his companion had disappeared. He swam a little closer, always keeping eye contact, and Sylphiel found that she could not look away. Distantly, Sylphiel wondered where Zelgadis was, but such thoughts dissipated when the stranger answered her previous questioning look. "My…companion was only a spell, to lure demure beauties such as you. I'm gratified that my plan worked better than I had hoped. Please, will you stay whilst I get dressed again?"

Gingerly, as if attached with puppet strings, Sylphiel turned around, but remained otherwise stationary. What was she doing? Who was this stranger, to request her presence thus so? Still...a small part of her admitted… he doesn't look so bad…in looks or in character…

Her thoughts were startled when, after a scurry in the water- during which Sylphiel guessed he was furiously scrubbing his hair- a rustling of clothes came to her ear as well as his calm, cheerfully handsome voice. "My name is Eldwin. I like to think it's because my mind is like that of an elder, and I always win, but I won't go cocky on myself. It's fun conjuring the shape of a woman from water vapor, but I'll always love the real deal more. I hope you don't think me brash for doing so, but, if I may ask, what is a lady as beautiful as yourself doing, skulking around in the forests, especially at night? It's dangerous in these parts you know. Say, what's your name? I should have asked that first."

When he stopped to hear her answer, Sylphiel was breathless from just listening to him. Slowly, she regained her voice and answered, somewhat timidly, "My name is Sylphiel, a shrine maiden of New Sairaag. I'm visiting a friend, and traveling from the capital. And what, may I ask, are you gaining from well…stopping me like this?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she became naturally petrified. The hand removed itself, as if feeling her tense up. "Sorry to intrude, but my reasoning is fairly simple. You are an experienced traveler are you not? Well, it just so happens, I'm not, and I came into the forest not knowing how to build a fire. Can you believe that? Heh, my own fault for never learning. Never had the reason to, before this you see. What I'm really asking though is…" he paused, and whirled Sylphiel around to face him. "Would it be so terrible if you shared your campfire with me?"

The blush returned ten fold, though it had never truly disappeared. He was now dressed in a fair blue tunic fringed in black and darker blue leggings. His hands were adorned in black fingerless gloves just as his feet were held within worn opaque boots. His hair now shown a silky blond and his skin was a healthy shade once the apparent dirt had worn off. He looked startlingly like Gourry. Close enough to be related.

"Sylphiel-san? Would it be all right?"

Faintly, Sylphiel murmured, "My companion…he doesn't take too kindly to-"

"He's just a friend though, right? A human one at that. And he is betrothed to another."

That snapped Sylphiel out of her daze. "What? How did you-" She was having a déjà vu memory from her time with Liona.

Eldwin grinned again. "I could see it in your eyes. You yearn for someone to love and be loved by. The one and only one you have loved, you have long since given up the thought of having, for he is deeply in love with another, one who you have befriended."

This rather accurate analysis startled her further. It had to be a trap. She couldn't get ensnared- her friend was depending on her. Well… maybe not dependent, but insistently hopeful to be sure. She couldn't dilly-dally around here anymore- what was the use of assisting her love's wife? No! Lina was her friend, just as Gourry was. She had to help if she could, so why not recruit more help to get it done sooner? Sylphiel's mind was in conflict, but a compromise seemed to be forming.

"SYLPHIEL! Where are you?!"

Zelgadis' call rang through the trees, pressing a shudder through Sylphiel. She smiled kindly at Eldwin though. "It's all right with me, but perhaps you should meet my traveling companion first; he has a rather…unnerving mindset."

There was no need to walk anywhere at the moment however, for just as Eldwin nodded in agreement, Zelgadis appeared from behind another bush, approaching from the direction of camp.

A/N: And so I grin with amusement? So….whatcha think? I know there's an obvious look of S/OC pairing here, but hey, I won't tell if you won't read (course, by then, you'd know yourself too) Please review! Thank ye kindly for your time!


	4. Ch 4 With Tomorrows Dawn

A/N: Ahh, Winter Break. Gotta love it eh? Well, if things go as planned, this'll be my last chapter before I go on vacation. Only for a week though, so you won't even think I've been gone. Bah, here we go!

**Winged Knight: **Thanks for your insight. - Won't tell ya if you're right or not though. evil gleam I love surprising people though, so lower your guard XP Hope you continue reading!

Disclaimer: Yada yada yada I dun own Slayers yada yada…

Ch. 4: With Tomorrow's Dawn…

"Who are you?"

Eldwin grinned innocently. Extending a hand towards the former chimera, he greeted, "You must be Sylphiel-san's companion. Mmm… Zelgadis-san, correct?"

Both travelers were balked by this surprisingly accurate "guess." How had he known? Apparently, Eldwin foresaw their unspoken question and placed his free hand over his mouth, a gesture suggesting he let something spill he wasn't supposed to. Then, he got over it, and smiled gingerly at them. "Oh come now, the grandson of Rezo the Red Priest, the most recent vessel for a piece of Shabrinigdo in a thousand years, who was cursed by his own grandfather? I don't need pebbles (think chimera skin) to know who you are. And Sylphiel-sama," he paused to give her a flashing smile of endearment, "You are my hero- erm…heroine. One of the few shrine maidens who can say they've successfully hit Hellmaster Phibrizzo with a very near perfected Dragon Slave. And yet, you are still the kindest of kind, the sweetest of sweets, the-"

Zelgadis interrupted. "All right already, you've made your point. You know a lot about us, while we know _nothing_ about you. Who are you and what do you want with us?"

Eldwin turned back to face Zelgadis, but he still grinned. "Truthfully, I want nothing to do with _you_. I would, however, appreciate greatly the presence of Sylphiel-sama at a campfire. The forest harbors quite unpleasant dangers, especially at night." He took the time to bow before adding, "I am Eldwin, a simple wanderer traveling through this forest. One of my specialties is the ability to gather information. So if you would tolerate me for the night, I would be most grateful indeed."

At that moment, Sylphiel seemed very much the smitten kitten, ready to defend this possible new companion. After studying Eldwin a bit more, she turned to Zelgadis. "Oh, Zelgadis-san, what could it hurt? Maybe he even knows how to defeat umm… the trouble plaguing our friend."

In the darkness, Zelgadis clenched his human fist, and immediately loosened it upon feeling the small, temporary hurt that came along with it. He'd never felt any pain from something as simple as that before. He eventually ground out, turning in the process, "Fine. Do what you like."

Sylphiel produced a bright smile, and now turned to Eldwin. "Come on, I'll lead you to our campsite."

Eldwin made a small bow as he graciously thanked her. She waved it off, saying it was her pleasure to.

Upon arriving, they found the fire already crackling pleasantly, and a few rabbits cooking from a wooden spit. They seated themselves as Zel had, around the fire. As they waited for their dinner to cook, Zel studied Eldwin from underneath leaden eyelids. Sylphiel could sense the tension, but chose not to be the one to break it. Instead, Eldwin took up the position. "Well now, this level of suspicion must be very hard to deal with. I can tell you're expecting me to suddenly turn on you, and perhaps kill you in your sleep, right Zelgadis-san?"

From the startled look in the receiver's eyes, Sylphiel could tell he was right. But how? Was he a mind reader? Eldwin grinned, as if sensing her thoughts. He waggled his finger and winked in a way that was amazingly like a purple-oriented friend of theirs, with the same trademark answer to their unvoiced question. "It's a secret. The nature of my power anyway. Well, I suppose you'll learn it in your own time, but it isn't the type of thing I can disclose on our first meeting, now is it?"

This seemed to make Zelgadis twice more suspicious. He eventually voiced his most obvious theory. "If you're Xellos-"

Eldwin suddenly laughed. "_Xellos_ Now how could I _ever_ be someone like that? From what I know, he's recently been bounded to Wolf Pack Island for a long intermission. A grounding, from the looks of it."

In this day and age, a grounding referred to a punishment dealt to children by their parents or guardians when they misbehaved. The kinder counterparts only took something unnecessarily bad, such as candy from a baby, but the harsher the guardian, the harsher the punishment. Given Lina's fear of her guardian sister… there was a very large range of available punishments to be devised. And so, to think of Xellos being punished by _his_ "guardian" Greater Beast Zelas… Unconsciously, a sympathetic smile emerged from both Zelgadis and Sylphiel.

Sylphiel changed the subject to a slightly lighter aired one, hopefully. "Well, powers aside, where are you headed, Eldwin-san?"

Eldwin scratched his head and looked for the answer in the stars shining above. "Well… to tell you the truth… I don't really know anymore. I was looking for something when I left my home but… I think I've lost my reason for searching for it any longer."

Tentatively, Sylphiel inquired, "What… was it?"

In the blink of an eye, Eldwin changed the subject. "Hey! The rabbits look just about done. Shall we eat? No sense in turning them to charcoal after all!"

Both Zelgadis and Sylphiel warily agreed, somewhat troubled by Eldwin's brief "period of soberness". Dinner was eaten in silence. Afterwards, Eldwin offered to stand guard first, though Zelgadis was still distrusting. When Sylphiel agreed to share his shift, Zelgadis complied to cut the night in half. And so, reluctantly, Zelgadis departed to his tent, while Sylphiel and Eldwin stayed across the fire from each other.

As an owl hooted in the distance, and the wind rustled some fallen leaves, Sylphiel tried to strike up a conversation. "So where are you from, Eldwin-san?"

"Hm? Oh, a village in the Kataart Mountains. Nothing special, really. You're from Sairaag, correct? Is all the rebuilding completed?"

Sylphiel smiled as she nodded, beginning to adapt to Eldwin's almost automatic knowledge of most aspects. "Yes, fortunately, the last attack was almost twenty-eight years ago- we've actually added a strong wall around our city, and a militant, just in case."

Eldwin leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as his clasped hands cradled his chin. "Do you think that will be enough? The last time it was attacked, really attacked, it was a one-shot wonder. Somehow, I believe its more quality than quantity that you require. Of course, I mean no offense to your people, but you understand, like should defeat, or battle, like. Magic against magic. You know?"

With a soft sigh, Sylphiel nodded. "I know. Hopefully, we won't have to deal with anymore of that, now that Phibrizzo is gone. Wait- you said you're from the Kataart Mountains? You've seen the dragons there, haven't you?"

To this, Eldwin nodded. "Indeed I have. They're very cultured folk, even in their children."

"You don't suppose…" Sylphiel paused, a new notion coming to her.

Eldwin knew her question before she asked. "The nature of the Kataart Dragons allows them to grant favors now and again, but generally, they tend to be rather self-centered, uncaring for the human race. Cultured, but self-centered. They would most likely not find reason to assist your cause, especially when it is a time of peace."

Sylphiel could understand that judgment, from what she had heard from Lina's adventures. "What about you? You don't seem self-centered at all to me, but only dragons, strong ones at that, inhabit the Kataart Mountains."

"Oh, I wouldn't say I'm a dragon, but I take care of myself fairly well when I need to. My… tribe has a special agreement with the dragons there so we can live in peace."

In reply, she hummed with faint interest. She would have persisted in attempting to riddle out Eldwin's origin, had he not suddenly clasped a firm hand over her mouth. His lurking gaze and serious expression told her silence was needed. Though, she would think the fire alone would be reason enough, with or without her voice.

Then she heard it. A crackling of branches as they were snapped underfoot- the blunder of a creature that cared not about stealth. Slowly, Eldwin enunciated a single-worded explanation, "bandits". With the ease of a trained stalker, or perhaps assassin would be more precise, Eldwin released Sylphiel and nearly tiptoed towards the source of the cracked branches. As he disappeared into the surrounding forest, Sylphiel wondered if she should wake Zelgadis. Just as that thought hit her, all grew quiet accompanied with a sole eerie wind. The silence kept Sylphiel at the edge of her seat, tersely waiting for a signal of some sort, for better or worse.

Briefly, she wondered why she had not gone with him, for support if nothing else. He had said he could protect himself if necessary, but at what cost? Sylphiel gingerly moved to stand before going after him, but suddenly found that she could not. She tugged harder to attempt to pull herself away from the log, but she was fastened quite securely. Like an insect on a spider's web, she was stuck and helpless.

Well, not exactly. She found that she could still move her upper body, and her legs from the knees down, but her posterior refused to budge. Thus so, she acquiesced to the circumstances and now contemplated the reasoning for this entrapment. She had not moved since they returned to camp, so it could have been done by anybody. However, only Eldwin had made contact with her, though she hadn't seen him move across the fire either. This was proving to be quite a bizarre situation indeed.

_All right_, Sylphiel told herself, determined to figure it out. _Say Eldwin _was_ the one who did it. _Why_ did he do it? To protect her from the bandits? That hardly seemed likely, as if any bandits got past him, or had circled around, she would be defenseless. Defenseless? No, she could probably use her spells still- though how any of her arsenal would prove valiant against her human foes (considering what she knew the last time we saw her) still made her wary._

Ultimately disgruntled, Sylphiel decided to wait until he came back and then ask him directly what his motives were. Until then, she would set about trying to figure out how to literally "unseat" herself. She knew she had to be careful though, to not speak too loudly and to not somehow fall into the fire in front of her. Sylphiel's first attempt came in the form of an identification spell- one she had learned courtesy of her period of adventures with Gourry and the others after the Hellmaster incident. Her hand glowed her own pure white and remained thus so up until she had extended it to the near vicinity of the objective spell's magic. There, it nullified, disappearing completely.

Sylphiel stared at her hand in surprise. This had never happened before. Usually, it would change into a different color, thus indicating the nature of the spell. Worried that her magic wasn't working, Sylphiel reinitiated the spell and held it carefully towards the fire. Her hand glowed red, as it was supposed to, an indication of fire shamanism magic. She puzzled over it for a few moments before she came to a feasible conclusion- the spell that held her was simply stronger than her own magic.

A stray gust blew past the clearing, effectively wiping out the last of the fire. Sylphiel shivered. As a wolf howled in the distance, she suddenly realized how intimidating the forest could be when alone. _Alone?_ No, she had Zelgadis still… in human form. She had seen the demonstration herself- his power, both physical and magical, had made a steep decline. Naturally, she would still support her friend, but… the odds seemed against them. Perhaps she should ask if Eldwin wanted to join them, if not for companionship, then an extra fighter against bandits or some such enemy. Ever since Lina had started to really rub off on her- again after the deal with Hellmaster- Sylphiel had felt a growing sensation of hating to be looked after. After all, what use was the Dragon Slave if her friends crowded around her? At that thought, Sylphiel let out a soft giggle. Who would have imagined- the shrine maiden of Sairaag using the Dragon Slave!

"Eh? Sylphiel? What happened to Eldwin?"

The sudden voice jolted Sylphiel into awareness. She directed her gaze towards it, and found Zelgadis looking at her with a raised eyebrow. With a sigh, Sylphiel summarized, "I'm not sure. One moment we were talking, and the next he covered my mouth so I'd be quiet… then- AH! It's morning already?! But, it didn't seem that long ago!"

Sure enough, as her gaze caught it, the sky began to lighten with the new day. Zelgadis let out a small sigh of disgust as he scratched the back of his head. "My body must not be used to camping out again yet, if I overslept this much. Come on- you rested right? After breakfast, let's start again. We should get this little snail infestation ordeal over with as soon as possible."

"But I can't-" At that moment, Sylphiel instinctively got to her feet in her act of protesting…and succeeded. The surprise of mobility shocked her mentally and physically in such a way that she fell over- thankfully, the fire had long since been extinguished. Puzzled, she glanced back at the log that had served as her motionless manacle. _What had changed? Could it be_… Sylphiel looked up just in time to see the sun peek over the tree tops. _The sun broke the spell? Well, _Sylphiel gingerly got back on her feet and dusted herself off. _I suppose it's possible- some spells _do_ work like that after all._

"Sylphiel? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Sylphiel gave him a curious glance before smiling. _No sense in getting him worked up, especially in the morning._ "No, no, it's nothing Zelgadis-san. Do you mind starting on breakfast this morning? I'm afraid I need to work out a few cramps from sleeping in a sitting position."

Zelgadis caught her offguard by smiling back. "Yeah, don't worry about it; it's really my fault for oversleeping. Though, why didn't you wake me up for my shift?"

"I must have fallen asleep early; it was so quiet out here."

Accepting this answer, Zelgadis nodded and set about putting the first meal of the day together. Afterwards, they decided to devote a few minutes looking for Eldwin, just to see where he went, before starting off. Just as Zelgadis decided to throw in the towel for the search, he heard a loud squeal of warning, before something dropped onto his back. As it caught him unawares added to its initial weight, it forced him to fall flat on his face. Before long though however, the weight was removed and a female voice asked, flighty with worry, "Oh my! I'm so sorry! Are you all right, sir?"

Gingerly, he braced himself and sat up, looking at the person next to him. It was a buxom woman, with waist length jade waves of tresses, perhaps in her mid-20's. She wore a simple dress that flowed gracefully with her curves, ending at her knees.

Silently, Zelgadis stood and dusted himself off, keeping a steady gaze on her emerald irises. Eventually, he uttered, "Who are you?"

A/N: Ah, sorry I'm late! My word processor wasn't working very reliably, so it allowed me to slack off a bit much. Well, you've read it now, so please review it! Any comments, especially constructive criticism, will be most appreciated! Thanks for your time! - Oh, and Happy Holidays!Happy Holidays!


	5. Ch 5 The Wrath of Nature

A/N: Yay, thank you for the consistent reviews! sigh I really should start to crack down and add more realism to my stories though. Somewhat randomness...oh wells.

**Winged Knight:** The same person? scoffs in disbelief Naw nothing like that... Still, I'm glad to have you as a reader. -

**Masaki1:** Eh...another thing I should work on- not making every new character "mysterious". Maybe I like it that way, maybe I don't. I dunno, but if you think it's good, I won't stop you. :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers. Simple. Sweet. Not.

Ch. 5: The Wrath of Nature

"I'm known as Eldora. Are you sure you're all right?"

The woman extended a helping hand; Zelgadis hesitated but soon took it. Upon stabilizing eye-to-eye contact, Zelgadis responded, "I'm all right; I've had worse things fall on me before. But what were you doing... um... in the tree like that?"

Eldora laughed and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Ah... well... I was replacing a baby birdie back into its nest, and I lost my balance. Hehe. What about you, sir? The road's a ways away from here."

Zelgadis took this chance to look around as he answered, "Looking for an aquaintence that ran off last night. He's about my height with blond hair wearing a blue tunic. Have you seen him?"

"Blond hair? Ah! You've made contact with him?!" At her sudden exclamation of recognition, Zelgadis directed his attention back to Eldora. "His name's Eldwin right? I'm looking for him too! He-" Like a child being forced into a humiliating confession, Eldora's face turned a bright pink, but she finished in a hush, "He ran out on me... before paying."

Somehow, Zelgadis worked out her implication and began to blush as well. In a light huff, he brushed it off and remarked, turning his head diagonally sideways towards the treetops, "We met him at a lake, and from there had dinner at our camp. He ran off during the first watch."

At this, Eldora blinked in surprise. "We? You have companions?"

Suddenly aware of how much information he was giving out, Zel stiffened, but eventually grumbled, as if under a mind control spell, "Companion. Singular."

She quirked her head to one side, and smiled brightly at him, making him blush a shade of a different color. Not losing any charm, Eldora whispered, "Would it be so much trouble if I traveled with you, at least for today? There's a town up ahead, right? He'll probably be there and well, the forest is rather dangerous if taken on alone."

Limply, Zel nodded in acquience. "We're meeting up soon, on the road. Do you have any...erm...supplies?"

"No," Eldora shook her head in reply. "Just lil' ol' me. Shall we go then?"

With a gruff repeated nod, Zel turned back towards the road and started walking. He was distantly aware of the soft treading of feet that told him Eldora was following rather close behind. They had not gone two minutes in silence before she chose to strike up a conversation.

"What's your companion like? Just curious."

Experimentally, Zel resisted answering for as long as he could, and found that his will power did not last long at all. Was it a factor of his full human form, or was she to blame? Nevertheless, his answer eventually escaped him. "Her name's Sylphiel. Sylphiel Rels Nahda. She's a really good cook, and very nice. She's a very skilled shrine maiden, especially for restorative white magic. A long while back, she even mastered the Dragon Slave spell."

"Wow," she sounded impressed, "A shrine maiden who can cast the Dragon Slave? She must be a formidable opponent in the battlefield."

Despite himself, Zel found that he could not resist responding, "She doesn't battle much, since she's usually the head healer. Her area of attack magic isn't too great either- without her talent with white magic, her Dragon Slave basically makes her a 'one-trick horse'."

"Ehh.... You sound like you know her well."

"I've known her for a long time. We've traveled together before."

"Before? Was there a large period of time in between now and then?"

Zel hesitated, wondering how long this interrogation was going to be. He should really be asking about _her_, but he was compelled to answer first, at least. "Yeah. Maybe twenty-five... no, twenty-seven years I think."

When she didn't say anything back, Zel summoned the strength to ask, "What about you? How long have you known Eldwin?"

To his surprise, she hummed thoughtfully before replying, "I've known him for a while. Every since we met some seven or eight years ago, we've been really close. He runs off every now and then, but we usually meet each other again soon enough."

"Zelgadis-san, there you are!"

Sylphiel had seen them and was now hailing them over. When they approached, she cocked her head to one side in puzzlement. "Who...?"

Thankfully for Zel, Eldora introduced herself. "Eldora. I was looking for Eldwin when I bumped into this guy. You must be Sylphiel-san, right?"

Zelgadis suffered a minor case of deja vu. Hastily, he shook it off as Sylphiel smiled and nodded. Perhaps she hadn't noticed what he had. "Will you travel with us then? We're stopping in the next town, and Eldwin may have the same idea."

Eldora grinned, though Zel found himself having another case of deja vu. She replied softly, "You read my mind."

As they walked down the path, Sylphiel and Eldora hung back and chatted about unimportant details, whilst getting to know each other. Meanwhile, Zelgadis trudged almost thirty paces ahead of them, making a point of scouting the territory. The sun had breached an hour past zenith when Zelgadis stopped abruptly. Like an unspoken signal, both women hushed instantly, hurrying to rejoin their male companion. As soon as it was safe to do so, Sylphiel whispered to Zel, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Zel and Eldora murmured at the same moment, "Bandits. With a sorcerer and several trolls."

All instantly got into a triangle formation facing outward, covering their backs, each poised for the impending battle. Zel called out, feeling braver than he should have been, "Come out! We know you're there!"

As if he had stepped on a switch that activated a trap, the surrounding fauna sprung alive in a flurry of movement. Before long, they were surrounded on all sides, about two persons thick, with roughly fifteen feet diameter and no gaps. Zel judged it to amount to perhaps thirty people, and seven trolls. An awful lot for just three travelers. A stroke of bad luck.

Like always, the theives attempted "peaceful negotiations" first. The one garbed as the sorcerer stepped forward and proclaimed, "All right. You know the deal. Hand over all your valuables and gold and we just _might_ let you live."

Out of pure offhandedness, Sylphiel murmured, loud enough for her friends and the sorcerer to hear, "You look too nice to be saying things like that. Surely there are better, more honest ways to make a living?"

None too surprisingly, this caught everyone within hearing range offguard. Finding the greater good in the sorcerer operating with bandits? The very idea was reminiscent of sounding absurd. And yet... her words must have hit something, for the sorcerer clearly blanched. Unfortunately, the bandits were none too similar. A random one in fact yelled out, "Don't listen to 'em! Knock 'em out til they're an inch from death!"

And so, chaos ensued. Though the sorcerer did not join in, the trolls and all the bandits did. That was more than enough, with the current state of affairs. Zelgadis drew his sword quickly, and realized with the first swing that despite the short training session before embarking on the journey, his sword was far too heavy for him now. Another perk to his chimeric form he conveniently chose to neglect in the past. Nevertheless, he swung almost recklessly, hacking away like a child with an axe as large as himself. For these bandits, the sheer weight of the sword was enough to incompacitate them, though, it didn't kill them.

Sylphiel's Flare Carrots had apparently improved since the last time she used them- significantly so. What was once cute little orange-red carrots were now large, fat, pointed loaves of bread. It even had darker shadows to indicate indents on the top portion, and little wisps of smoke rose from it as it cascaded through the air to barbeque its target. Upon getting over the initial surprise, Sylphiel experimented with a supposed Fireball, and was rewarded by a "hot potato" whose size closely resembled if not slightly dwarfed Lina Inverse's Fireball. The oversized potato managed to take out four bandits and scorch a troll in one fell swoop. Stunned, but ready to take on the rest of their opponents, Sylphiel continued the attack, knowing full well that she could and probably would heal them before they went on their way.

Eldora, new though she was, seemed to be holding her own against them... sort of. Squealing with obvious squeamishness, her arms and legs flailed, allowing her to take out unsuspecting opponents with adrenaline pumped strength. Still, it did not seem enough. The onslaught kept coming, and at one point, Zel realized that the sorcerer was no longer having doubts, and was summoning werewolves and trolls as back up recruits. Thirty soon became sixty, and growing still.

Finally though, when they had managed to take out almost twenty of them, Eldora stopped and told her companions to cover their ears really quickly. Wary, they did so, though what came next penetrated clasping their hands over their ears. First came an unearthly scream of a banshee that echoed to the far fringes of the mile radius and back again. Now even the enemies, including werewolves and trolls, were holding hands to their ears, yelling out in agony. Well, the yelling was just about the only thing that separated the good guys from the bad guys. That, and they didn't instantly get tied up by animated vines that thrust out from the nearby tree branches, catching and throwing the bandit force against trunks, and tying them soundly. By the time the echo receded, the clearing had been cleared again. Every being aside from Zelgadis, Sylphiel, and Eldora was tied to a tree and unconscious. A good number of their weapons lay scattered on the ground between the trio and the less dangerous ring of post-opponents. The battle was over, and all it had taken was a twenty-decibel scream.

Nervously, Zelgadis uncupped his ears and muttered, "You did that? That's some power you have."

Eldora smiled faintly. "It's nothing really. If only it didn't..." Her words trailed off as she fell forward. Zelgadis barely managed to catch her. With a light wisp of a smile, she murmured, "Sorry, fighting just makes me a little...tired."

Sylphiel leaned over, examining the now slumbering woman. "She seems all right. I suppose flailing around and screaming using the power of adrenaline can really get to you. Although, those vines..."

Zelgadis nodded in silent agreement. After a moment, he glanced around and said, "What do you reckon we should do with these bandits? Leave them here?"

The shrine maiden frowned, contemplating a decision. If her shamanistic fire magic was any indication that her powers had somehow grown significantly... "I want to patch them up first. Then, perhaps we should take a leaf out of Lina-san's book."

Surprised, Zelgadis raised his eyebrows at her and verified, "You mean steal from these bandits? Wow, I never thought I'd hear you of all people saying that."

Sylphiel grinned as she turned to face him. "Well, considering, Lina-san may need quite a bit of money to repair and clean out her place before Luna-san gets home, correct? Also, if we somehow happen to be late, or rather, she blames the lack of customers and therefore incoming money on us...we may need some extra money, aside from that which we use for the trip, to quell her troubles, no?"

Zelgadis paused for a moment, taking in the information. He then smiled softly. "An amazing show of logic. Yes, I'll get right to it as soon as I set her down. Just make sure you don't heal these guys enough to bring them back into consciousness."

Grinning again, she nearly purred, "I know just the spell."

Apparently, Sylphiel did. With one incantation, a wave of light spread out in a circle around her, growing wider with each passing moment. It was actually much like the spell Amelia had used when Lina's Dragon Slave had freed a large hill full of mischeivious ghosts and spirits. In that near blinding moment, a wave of fertility hit the forest, effectively allowing late blossoms to bloom, and fruit to ripen at an excessively hurried rate. The burns and scars on the bandits also healed. However, like Zelgadis "suggested", none awoke.

Noticing the effect instantly, Zelgadis made no show to hide that he was impressed. He even remarked, "Sylphiel, that was one spectacular spell. Were you able to do that before?"

Sylphiel blushed as she kneeled next to Eldora. "Not to this extent. Before, I only extended to about a ten-foot radius. It didn't heal this quickly either. Actually, my fire spells have increased as well. I can't even begin to imagine the reason behind it though."

Zelgadis said nothing, continuing to collect pocket treasures and whatnot from the ring of bandits as he contemplated in silence. About an hour later, he still did not voice his thoughts, though, as he pocketed the results of the encounter, he wiped and sheathed his sword before muttering that he would carry the unconscious Eldora on his back. They were soon on their way again.

The silence stretched for the next few hours, until they reached the town of Silis, or more specifically, the Flaming Rooster Inn. At that point, Eldora woke up with a start, and seemed dismayed when she looked towards the setting sun. She didn't try to hide her worry as she skipped in, received her room key, muttered a quick "Don't wait up for me" to her traveling companions, and ran up the steps two at a time. Sylphiel and Zelgadis watched her in a rather dazed fashion until she disappeared upstairs. Then, with a sigh, they went up to the desk where they found that there was only one room left. After reluctantly admitting that Eldora, added to the fact they had just met her that same day, needed to be alone, for whatever reason, they agreed to share the room. They would worry about the actual sleeping arrangements later.

After dropping off their packs and capes in the room, they set off in different directions- Zel to have his evening cup of coffee, and Sylphiel to relax with a soothing bath. The duo agreed to meet in the restaurant of the inn for dinner. By then, Zelgadis had figured out a possible theory of the Eldwin-Eldora pair. He just needed the evidence.

A/N: I don't know if that's too short or long, but I hope it's okay. I also hope that I haven't become shallowly obvious as to the points and characterizations of my story. Then again, I'm not exactly trying very hard, as my mind wanders, especially in wondrance of the coming new year. Well, happy holidays and I look forward to your reviews! -


	6. Ch 6 Truth Concealed Questions Answered

A/N: Ah thank you for your reviews! ;

**foxyandredpandy-** Yes, Amelia was turned into a chimera, for a duration of approximately 6 weeks to two months. Then Sylphiel arrived with the Cure All pills. This cured both Amelia and Zelgadis of any ill-worn traces in their systems, including all chimeric traits, as its origin was fiercely declared as evil (Shabrinigdo's power). Sylphiel herself took a green pill that, at first, seems only to have restored her from fatigue, but you may realize, before, now, or later on, that it had some other effects on her as well... Let's just say, I think it's unfair that Sylphiel can cast a Dragon Slave, and not succeed in so much as burning with her Flare Arrow, or rather, Flare Carrot. Ah yes, you've noticed it haven't you? evil gleam Toodles- hope you come back for more.

**Winged Knight-** Confound your mind reading skills! Bah- fine, be that way, I'll switch everything up so that even I don't know what's going to happen! Bwahahahahaah!!! coughcough Eh... Actually... ll laughs aside... hat's pretty much what I'm doing here...; bear with me?

Disclaimer: I never owned Slayers. That includes the present. I probably won't in the future either. I'll even go out on a limb and say I had nothing to do with the production or creation of the wonderful characters I admire. Happy reading.

Ch. 6: Truth Concealed- Questions Permitted

"Sylphiel."

The recently bathed shrine maiden paused in coaxing a few more drops from her matted hair. Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she glanced at her solemn companion. With a small smile, she attempted to lighten his mood...somewhat. "What is it, Zelgadis-san?"

Unfazed, Zelgadis brought his hands together in front of him to form a sort of steeple with his forefingers. His glare was ominously unnerving. Sylphiel selfconsciously sneezed with the shiver that passed through her. "I don't think Eldora...or Eldwin...is human."

Sylphiel blinked, surprised by this theory. Then, she jumped, as a hand was placed on her shoulder. "Naturally. I never said I _was_, did I Sylphiel-san?"

She looked up then into the eyes of Eldwin. '_He really _was_ here.' _Sylphiel thought pensively. She smiled wanly as he seated himself next her. She remembered suddenly, and queried, "The last time you left, at the campfire, what did you-"

He laughed lightly, making her pause in questioning. "Oh yes, sorry about that. You weren't too inconvenienced, I hope? I simply didn't wish to burden you with the particular bandits that I dealt with. I also apologize for not having been able to rejoin you sooner. I would have, had I not known Eldora was traveling with you here. I've been rather tempted to avoid her, you see, as she can get mighty... irrational while traveling."

Zelgadis and Sylphiel simultaneously blinked in surprise and uttered, "She didn't seem at all irrational to me." At that, they glanced at each other from across the table, colored slightly, and decided to reflect their attention back on Eldwin.

He shrugged at their remark. "Of course she didn't. That's part of her charm. She only lets you see what she wishes to see. A Mistress of Illusion to be sure."

"But wait," Sylphiel prompted, "When we faced a horrendous pack of bandits, she used a spell, surely no illusion, and the nearby vines tied our enemies to trees."

Eldwin nodded, as if expecting this. "After which, she promptly fainted, correct?" At her nod, he continued, "A special power of hers. The illusion of which I spoke of before referred simply to her enchanting nature. The nature around her, like saving a damsel in distress, will come to her aid should they hear her scream. Also, granted, as such a damsel would, she faints after exerting the energy to scream."

The two Slayers thought back to when Eldora had told them to cover their ears. Was it so that they wouldn't fling themselves to their doom by rushing the enemy?

"Nature," Eldwin continued, "knows better than Man who the enemy of the situation is. The fact that you two had the sense to cover your ears beforehand told them you were to be left alone."

Zelgadis snapped to attention. "How did you know we covered our ears?"

He received a grin before a reply. "I know Eldora well."

"Where _is_ Eldora anyhow?" Sylphiel looked towards the stairs, worry etched into her expression. "She was looking for you..."

Eldwin laughed pleasantly. "I don't doubt she was. But no, while she was sleeping, I paid my fee in full. She won't wake up worrying about it. I can assure you that much."

"But..." Sylphiel protested, "Dinner..."

"Don't worry. I left sufficient food as well. She won't be joining us tonight."

"Us?" Zelgadis, ever the skeptic, glared at Eldwin under one raised eyebrow. "I still don't trust you. If you aren't human, what are you?"

He raised his eyebrow in return, though his was more from amusement than skeptism. "Still worried I'll backstab you? Really, now, I'm not like that. I'm an honest-to-goodness fool who wanders along the path of love and heartache. Mmmm...I beginning to get hungry. Sylphiel-san? Zelgadis-san? Have you ordered your dinners yet?"

When Sylphiel shook her head, he hailed a nearby waitress. Flashing a magnificently charming smile that left both the waitress and Sylphiel spell-bound for a single second, he ordered for them all. Lightly flushed, the waitress bowed before rushing to pass on the order. Zelgadis continued to stare at him with unwavering suspicion.

Finally acknowledging this, Eldwin turned to him with a sigh. "Forgive me for saying so, Zelgadis-san, but your unease makes you uncomfortable company. Have you embraced your human self so completely that, power or no, you continue this fit of loathing for others?"

That broke the glare. Zelgadis looked at him at first surprised, then angered, before resting on a half-sulking stare. He muttered under his breath, "You know too much. Too much that we should know."

"I could most likely say the same to you, oh treasurer of untold secrets."

"What do you-"

"Ah, that was quick preparing," Eldwin exclaimed to the waitress who came back with the first course, "Thank you for the prompt service."

Blushing still more, she nodded hurriedly and left the vicinity for the kitchen. Zelgadis remained stubbornly hooked on learning the reasoning behind Eldwin's statement. Eldwin, however, was fully intent on his meal. He looked to Sylphiel and asked, still charmingly, "Would you care to share, Sylphiel-san? You look like the kind of lady who appreciates a good- I hope I pronounce it right- quieche."

Sylphiel stared, awestruck. _'That's my favorite- how did he know?'_ Then, gingerly, she smiled and whispered, "Ikadakimasu."

At first, Sylphiel blushed and hesitated when Eldwin held one of the pastries up for her to bite into, but hunger won over, very quickly. So enraptured was she by this surprisingly pleasant exchange, she didn't notice the scowl etched into Zelgadis' expression.

He himself did not know why he felt a little twinge of jealousy- he reasoned that it was probably because he was missing Amelia. Yes, that was it, he decided. With a resolute nod, he built up a bit more energy and started questioning again. Though mysterious, Eldwin didn't seem to have nearly as much trouble answering questions, unlike a certain _fruitcake_.

"What did you mean, when you said I was harboring secrets? I have nothing to hide."

Zelgadis mentally cursed; he had a feeling he would regret saying those words. True to his instinct, Eldwin proved him right as he set down his fork, and kindly passed the plate closer to Sylphiel.

"In favor of your fiancee's ears, I won't answer that question."

Surprised, he glanced at Sylphiel, thinking it was she he was referring to. "But Sylphiel's not-"

At last, Eldwin turned to him and gave him a long, cold stare. "Fool. I know that. But there are ways in which news can reach her, as surely as the cure you now have."

There was a shocked silence, the knowledge Eldwin appeared to have slowly seeping in. With an almost disgusted sigh, Eldwin stood up, and bowed to Sylphiel. "My apologies, my lady, but I fear if I stay much longer, my presence will no longer be welcome in your company. We will meet again. However, it would give you my utmost gratitude if you would be so kind as to tolerate Eldora for a little longer. She's headed to the Land Where Wine is Good and Cheap. Also known as Zephilia. It's still a bit of a ways from here, and being the damsel she is, anyone who outlasts her scream will surely... well, I suppose you can imagine. That is all. I bid thee adieu this fair night."

And with a sweep of his cloak, he was walking purposefully out the door. By the time he disappeared from view, a strange notion came to Zel's mind. Eager to test it, he nearly tripped on his cape on the way up the stairs. He ran to the one assigned to Eldora, and pushed open the door. He blushed and immediately closed it again. Clothes had been strewn about the place, and a rather large lump lay under the bed sheets. A rather easily identifiable scent also lay in the air. Was this what Eldwin had meant, when he said he had paid his fee in full? Blush still present, Zel trudged back down the steps. Resolving that a hot springs bath might soothe his bruise pains from the bandits, and the headache from thinking of the pair, Zel informed Sylphiel, before going back up to prepare for his bath.

As he slipped into the extremely hot water (he was rather still unused to the difference between hard golem skin and tender human skin), a large gust of wind blew open the window in Eldora's room, the breeze being just enough to blow the blanket sheets to the foot of the bed. Where Zelgadis had seen a lump, there now only lay, curled into a tight ball, one detached ice-blue dragon tail...skin. Something quite large had shed recently- there had been no battle, for no signs of a fight, nor blood, would or could be seen.

On the rooftop across the street, Eldwin gave a smile of raw excitement. Seemingly to himself, he swore, "He will learn. If not... I'll be more than happy to put him out of his misery."

A voice behind him whispered on the northernly drift, "Should it come to that, be gentle. There is no need to give the queen reason to further neglect her duties."

He bowed, though he did not face the speaker. "But of course, Mistress. I would not have it any other way." By then, however, he was responding to thin air.

A/N: Yeah, I know it's really short. Sorry...hehe... it's cold... school started again... I spent the last week writing five chapters of another story... ; real sorry, but I'll at least try to update regularly every week yes? Please review!


	7. Ch 7 The Draconic Savior

A/N: I don't want you to mistake the title now- it's nothing to do with religion or cults or whatever (maybe it's just me, but I wanted to make sure you knew) Well, here it comes! Enjoy!

**Winged-Knight: **You bring an interesting element in regardance to the baby. I can't say at the moment if you're right though (I don't know myself after all) And...as to your other points...I only say...you can't afford to assume anything about the mind of a creator. You never know how wrong (or right I suppose) you can be. evil glint

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Slayers. When did I say I ever did? Never.

Ch. 7- The Draconic Savior

"Zelgadis-san..."

The ex-chimera looked up at his traveling companion. "What is it?"

"Does it seem a bit... too quiet around here?"

Zelgadis stopped, and took in their surroundings. The morning after their rest at the Rooster Inn, they had found Eldora's room empty, and a note saying to not worry- she'd catch up with them later. The duo was now walking a side path through the forest. From their map, Lina's hometown was only two or three days away. But this part of the forest, as Zel now noticed, lacked the carefree songs of birds, the calls of the wildlife- even caressing breezes were absent. Zel found himself surprised that Sylphiel had noticed it far earlier than he had. Was this another side effect of being human again?

"You're right. Something's wrong here."

Tentatively, Sylphiel whispered, "We probably should have asked someone if there were any abnormal hazards out here."

Mutely, Zelgadis nodded. He didn't like to ask for help as a chimera, when everybody who looked at him shouted that he was a monster, inhuman, destructive, a menace to society. As he thought back, he remembered that before Rezo's "help" had landed him cursed, he was still a loner who'd druther stay inside painting than play with the other kids. He'd been teased right out of school- by age seven, he had begun homeschooling and private tutoring. In any case, the thought that something he couldn't handle would be facing him, accompanied by the idea that he needed another's help, was simply inconceivable. He was a monster. He needed no allies.

Then what of Sylphiel? Of Amelia? Or even Lina and Gourry? No, he decided. They were not his allies. For the first and only time in his life, he knew they were his friends. His close, trustworthy friends.

"Zelgadis-san, do you smell that? I think it's..." She gasped in recognition. Zel stopped next to her and asked for clarification. _His_ nose could not detect anything. Softly, she whispered, "There's an ash dragon nearby. A mother, with a child."

Zelgadis had heard of ash dragons. Though comparatively rare, the ones that lived in the wilderness were strongly protective of their young. They didn't care about pretty jewels or treasures- the ash that they were covered in like sweat and dirt on human skin always dirtied such valuables, and thus made it useless for their sparkling quality. The common rumor described ash dragons with three adjectives: protective, territorial, and intuitive. It could sense you coming for it before _you_ even knew you were in its territory.

He gulped, his human emotions generating trepidation. With false bravado he croaked, "Should we avoid it, or give Lina a dragon to calm her snail-fried nerves?"

Sylphiel smiled wanly. "I'm afraid neither of those would work. Remember when I was traveling with Gourry-sama, Lina-san, Amelia-san, and yourself? One day in the tavern, someone came in yelling that an ash dragon had been spotted on the brink of town, and as soon as he left to warn others, Lina stood up and told us that we should get going. It was abnormal, because our food hadn't arrived yet."

Zelgadis nodded, remembering. "When we asked about it some years later, she finally admitted that her sister had used an ash dragon as a prime punishment when she was younger. Considering she's back home, she probably doesn't want to be reminded at the moment." He paused and then added, "Why can't we avoid it? I've always heard that ash dragons will stay firmly rooted to their caves with their young for the first few decades."

Grimly, Sylphiel nodded in agreement. "Yes, but how do you suppose food is gained during that time? They're not vegetarians, and we've fallen right into its trap."

At that, Zelgadis started. "What? What are you talking about?" He didn't like asking so many questions like this- it implied that the one he was asking knew more than he did, and when that person was Sylphiel, a large part of his ego was shot. Still, he had to know the answers.

"Try moving any of your limbs."

Apprehension was followed by comprehension as Zelgadis attempted to take a step forward in vain. He should have recognized this sort of trap! A certain section of earth was marked off by four equally spread spelled trees. You can tell these trees apart from the others because they remain in full bloom year-round. As it was the height of winter, the four cherry blossoms in the distance should have been a grand old hint, especially when this forest was mainly evergreens.

Like a spider's web, once the prey stepped into the field of entrapment, they were as stuck as if their feet had been walled into cement. Only when the spellcaster came could they be released, just before they were killed, eaten, or both. As far as most humans knew, there was no antidote save for the spellcaster. If they were away, the prey would soon fall to exhaustion, and then starvation. If they were alone, nine out of ten became insane before death came to them.

Luckily, Zelgadis and Sylphiel didn't have to wait that long. In fact, moments after they had stopped talking, they heard the earthshaking footsteps of the dragon spellcaster. Ash dragons were one of the few dragons that could similate human speech, and cast a few spells. They were nowhere near the level of Gold, Black, or Ancient Dragons, but they made do with what was given to them.

**_'What have we here? _Two_ delectable bites today, is it not? Delicious, scrumptious. Faulkner, isn't this grand? It's no feast to be sure, but this just may be enough to last us a week, what do you say?'_**

_'Can I have the female, Mother? Can I?'_

_**'I don't see why not. Now then, let us take them back to clean and cook them.'**_

It happened very quickly in the eyes of the humans. They came, they saw, they grabbed, they went home. Zelgadis realized, or rather remembered, that while smart and fairly strong, a full grown ash dragon was only about fifteen feet tall- small in the world of dragons. However, they were still big enough to have humans as food.

The cave was perhaps seventy yards from where they had been trapped, the tunnels flowing smoothly and ending quickly. At the last cavern, there lay a huge cauldron, with a fire already boiling the water. Upon seeing this Sylphiel protested to the baby dragon that held her, "Oh kind sir, please don't do this. We really aren't that good to eat."

To which he growled back, _'Humans always taste good, once they've been cleaned.'_

Suddenly having a burst of inspiration, Sylphiel replied, "Oh, but we two can never truly be cleansed. We were magicked into golems and demons."

Zelgadis snapped his head up.

The baby dragon shifted his weight. _'You're lying. You look human to me.'_

Catching the ploy, Zelgadis continued, adding onto it. "We usually keep them in check, but if you really try to eat us, we'll unleash them and do several unmentionables to our tormentors."

It should also be said that ash dragons are rather fearful when it comes to demons. Also, their teeth are not meant for stone bearings such as golems. Even the mother was becoming edgy.

Sylphiel smiled in Zelgadis' direction momentarily before going back to the baby dragon holding her captive. "We may feel like tender human flesh to you now, sir, but it won't last. Underneath the human skin, we're really golems turned half-demons."

**_'Hah!'_** The mother dragon cried triumphantly. **_'Then we have a way to test you! Even we ash dragons know that demons don't bleed. If what you are saying is true, then if we bite off an arm, you won't bleed.'_**

Though Zelgadis could see the truth in this prediction, he decided to modify the explanation. "There is a breed of demons that still bleed human blood. Those are half-demons, produced from a demonic and human interaction. We are of that breed." He paused, and then added, "And biting off a key limb will still reenact the curse. If you like, we'll adminster self cuts to show you."

The dragons exchanged glances, but eventually set both humans on the ground between them. Zelgadis and Sylphiel smiled, both knowing that when the cut was made, they only had to cut themselves in a place that healed itself, as all demons had that ability, half or all. As it so happens, there is a delicate band on every sorcerer or sorceress' left arm that will always heal no matter how harsh the cut (short of being sliced through). It had been the final test for white magic in every magic school, and both of them knew it.

So, simultaneously, they drew their swords, uncovered the band (it was invisible, but they needed to see the area to cut it), and made a neat, perhaps three inch long cut. When they removed their weapons, they turned to their respective captors and showed them that though blood was gushing down their limbs, the cut itself was already starting to close up. Within ten minutes, all that was left was a blood drenched limb. There was no opening to suggest where it had come from.

The dragons backed up a little, wearily, before the baby dragon came across another nick in their explanation. _'If you are a golem underneath it all, why did your sword ever break your skin? Golems are natorious for their hard skin.'_

Luckily, Zelgadis had worked this detail out in his head. "Our swords are magicked also, to cut anything it touches. Even _we _are not immune to our weapons."

Finally put off, the mother dragon growled, **_'So be it. We do not wish ill of demon lineage, especially one that we cannot eat. Leave in peace, but if you return, we'll be sure to throw you in the pot, cursed or no.'_**

Sylphiel and Zelgadis shared a gratified smile. On pure instinct, they bowed to the dragons and thanked them. In case they were being tricked, they walked backward towards the cavern opening, watching their would-be predators. Once they were out of sight, they turned and flew out into the open. Still flying, they decided to travel as far as they could before the sun set.

Initially, Zelgadis had been surprised he could keep himself in the air, but he supposed that practice was all he'd needed before. After that passed, his mind traveled to the mode of their escape. It burdened his conscience, to be saved from the belief that he was still a demon and golem as well as human inside. As if it were better to be cursed.

Not to mention the other part of the deal- the fact that _Sylphiel_ had come up with the plan that had saved them. He was both envious and surprised. Upon considering it a bit more carefully, Zelgadis realized that he had never been one to think of instantaneous plans. It was all planned out strategies for him. To think that Sylphiel had outsmarted dragons... he found an underlying sense of change in the air. It was almost as if, in the time where his magic was weakest, Sylphiel's mind and magic had increased significantly. Which brought to question...

"Sylphiel? How did you cast those spells when we faced the bandits before? They weren't your normal size."

Surprisingly, she laughed it off. Turning to look at him, she answered, "I really don't know."

In the distance, a familiar voice chirruped, "I do, I do!"

A/N: And thus ends the seventh chapter. If you think you can figure out the main point of this story, I wouldn't be surprised. For all the mystery, it's surprisingly simple. It comes from being a simpleton for half my brain. Well, review as you will.


	8. Ch 8 Pause for Reflection

A/N: My, my, my, I'm getting inconsistent. Ah well, here's the next chapter.

**Maurice A. Nigma**- Hah, thanks for reading- you should be able to guess by the end of this chapter, or before then. I looked up the story you mentioned and well, sorry I would, but… I don't really know that series (Sonic I mean) too well, if at all. I did read Luna's Enjoyment: Lina's Torture though. Twas amusing, I must say. Well, happy reading!

**Winged Knight- **Steroids? Mmm…_may_be… --wink-- And thank ye for reading, and paying attention enough to go through the guessing and assuming part. I'd hate to agree that doing so would mean you have no life- because then I'd have to admit that I don't either. :P Ah well, we're alive, aren't we? Well, this chapter will either confirm or dissipitate a good many of your assumptions, so I hope you enjoy! (Granted, if you find out how the whole story works out before I allow a character to explain it- all the power to ye)

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, now and forever, til death do I part.

Ch. 8- Pause for Reflection

"Let's stop here for today. We're within a morning's flight to Lina's place."

Sylphiel turned to regard Zelgadis. "Are you sure? The sun has barely begun to descend."

He nodded back. "There should be a lake nearby; we can catch our dinner and scrub off before we meet Lina there. You never know- after the snails are cleared up, she might turn on us and tell us off for tracking dirt into the place."

Sylphiel laughed. "Yes, she might just do that. Lina-san is still horribly afraid of her sister, isn't she?"

Zelgadis allowed a smile to pass. "The only reason why we're going."

A strange look overcame Sylphiel's expression then. Her companion asked what was wrong.

Smiling softly, she murmured that it was nothing. "How are we going to fish and bathe at the same time?"

"I'll set the net trap once we reach the lake. Then I'll set up camp nearby, but far enough so that you can swim or whatever in privacy. Return to camp when you're done, and I'll take my turn and bring the catch back with me. How's that?"

Sylphiel raised an eyebrow. "You seem to have thought it through a lot."

He shrugged in reply. "After all the years of traveling I've had, it comes second nature to me."

Accepting this, she verified, "To the lake then?"

With another nod between them, they set off.

The net was lowered without any problems, but as soon as Zelgadis had left the vicinity, Sylphiel heard it. The same voice, the same voices giggling with each other.

"I don't know why I was ever worried; ooh you're such a darling!"

"And _you_ would be the most vile temptress in all the seven deserts of despair."

She giggled again. "That always sends shivers down my spine. I love it. How long do you think we'll be able to keep this up though, with things as they are?"

"She will tell us when it is time. We should enjoy it in the meantime however."

At that point, Sylphiel recognized the sounds that told her just how private an affair, no pun intended, this was. Blushing furiously, she moved to the other side of the lake until she could no longer hear them. Under the cover of tall boulders, she undressed and slipped into a small pool, not unlike the one Lina had fireballed eons ago. She cast a self-cleansing spell on herself as she submerged in the water.

As the magic began its work, Sylphiel mulled over the lovers' words, no doubt in her mind that it had been Eldwin and Eldora. She wondered who the person they referred to was, who apparently controlled the fate of their relationship. She had a feeling it was someone strong, to control and/or teach the pair magic that no one else possessed. For Eldwin, the ability to freeze her where she sat, and for Eldora, the ability to summon nature's help with her distressed voice. Sylphiel could sense that both were powerful in their own right, but _how_ powerful was yet to be known.

_Power._ That had been another thing that was bothering her; the power of her spells had grown substantially ever since they began this escapade. She had slid under the Queen to break her fall, when she had been some thirty feet away. Her shamanistic fire spells would have been shown worthy even in the eyes of the flame expert Lina Inverse. Her strength of mind had also increased, to be able to discover how to escape a permanent lunch date with a couple of ash dragons. Somehow, she felt that if she chose to wield her sword again, she would be an expert at that as well.

Something had changed since the last time she used magic, before they left Seyruun. That had been... when she was checking to see if the pills Liona-san had given her had been trustworthy... Sylphiel stopped her thoughts, chilled to the bone. Of course! That was it!

Hurriedly, Sylphiel checked to see that the cleansing spell was done- which it had been for some time- and got up to dry herself and put her clothes back on. As soon as she had, she circled back and paused where she had heard the pair. Nothing came to her ears. With a soft sigh she rushed back to Zelgadis.

There was no doubt in her mind that Zelgadis had heard her coming, louding snapping dead twigs, rustling past the low foliage. She didn't care; she had to tell him.

As she broke into the clearing, her body came to an abrupt stop, held spellbound by the sight before her. Swords clashed, one with fury, one with cool annoyance. Capes fluttered similarly to the movements of their bearers. The fire licked its maw impatiently, sending fumes into the air as if to get a better vantage point. Sylphiel found herself determined to make them stop, to force Zelgadis out of his wrath, to make sure Eldwin stayed put. She knew just the spell, and she knew she could pull it off, when she couldn't have not a fortnight ago.

"_Dragon Fang._" Both fighters stopped, frozen in place, stunned at what had just occured. They simultaneously looked at Sylphiel, hair still dripping wet, a cool breeze blowing it off her shoulders. There was an unearthly look in her eyes, and it chilled Zelgadis. Eldwin however, did not seem the least bit surprised; in fact, he actually looked a touch appeased.

"Sylphiel-san! What a surprise! And here I thought this oaf-" He paused to jerk his head in Zelgadis' direction "had left you somewhere and then gone off on his own."

Sylphiel blinked, and she was aware of herself again. A smile crept into her expression, however, as she said, "Well, technically speaking, that's what he _did_ do, but we were planning to meet back at camp- here- after I took my bath."

A forlorn, wistful gaze emitted from Eldwin's eyes. "A bath? You don't say? Why, I truly believe it was a waste of effort- nothing could tarnish your beauty after all."

Despite herself, Sylphiel blushed and looked down. Zelgadis muttered, "Uh, Sylphiel? Mind letting me go now?"

She started at that, and looked up again. A new blush covered the old, and she asked timidly, "Do you promise not to fight? Both of you?"

Zelgadis growled low in his throat, but nodded. Eldwin smiled and also nodded. She waved her hand, dispelling the enchantment. Looking around, she found that space had been cleared around the fire. Slowly, she sat down, legs tucked under her, and gestured for them to do the same. Zelgadis seated himself crossed legged between Eldwin and Sylphiel. Eldwin sat across the fire from Sylphiel, knees drawn up with the soles of his feet aligned and touching each other.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Sylphiel opened her eyes and set them steadily on Eldwin. She as good as might have forgotten Zelgadis was there, but she knew he had to hear this as well.

"Eldwin, would you be so kind as to confirm a few... suspicions of mine?"

He smiled cheekily. "Anything for you, dear Sylphiel."

"First, Eldora is a dragon, isn't she? A _philos magnus_ brand, a tribe concentrated to a single peak in the Kataart mountains."

His grin widened. "A brilliant deduction. How did you come about that?"

She ignored the question and continued the inquiry. "Second, _you_ are a demon. At least, a soul of one, a parasite in the eyes of some people. For the greater part of your life, whatever can be considered life, you served as a spy in the Kataart Mountains for the Greater Beast Zelas, correct?"

Eldwin's smile faltered as he nodded. Sylphiel continued, as Zelgadis was staring at her in shock.

"Third, for some time now, you have been under the lax service of Liona... -san. She made a pact with the both of you, saying that though circumstances usually say it's impossible for you to be together, she would make it possible, as long as you completed a task for her. Have I been wrong yet?"

His eye began twitching ever so slightly, but he managed to shake his head.

"Fourth, that task was to confront us once she had allowed us to take the medicine she presented to me. To make us realize how important, no, how _powerful_ we are, with or without the circumstances that held us. For me, the power I had held back in fear of hurting another, and for Zelgadis-san, the power he had as a chimera. Still correct?"

Eldwin let out a shuddering sigh, closing his eyes, and nodded again.

"Finally, Liona-san was the one who had planted the slugs and snails within Lina-san's home, to lure us into the open. She told you that if the plan succeeded, you would be free of the obligations of your people, and truly be allowed to be together forever. As it is now, from dawn to dusk, Eldora roams free. From dusk to dawn, you, Eldwin lurk as you will. In the exchanges around the point of sunrise and sunset, you become two entities and meet, before the tired one disappears into the revived one. That's it, isn't it?"

Eyes still closed, Eldwin nodded. Then he murmured, "I must admit, the rate of your deductions is a bit frightening, and from me, that's saying something. So now I must ask, how did you learn all that?"

Sylphiel took in a deep breath, ready to spill free again. Zelgadis could only watch in stunned silence. "The first thing I realized that my power upgrade and Zelgadis-san's significant downgrade occured in that same moment, when we took the pills Liona-san provided. Then I remembered that the Dragon Fang, what I used just now, and what Eldwin used on me the first night we met him, could only be used by a dragon or on a dragon. After that, I realized you two made sure you had excuses not to be seen at the same time, but twice now I've heard you, as the sun set, meeting in a lake. That's what makes Eldora disappear- the water. I know that because the first time, only moments had passed between when I had seen a small bit of her back, and when you emerged alone.

"From that, I concluded her nature, as, combined with her power over, well, nature, led to all the significant characteristics of _philos magnus_, a tribe that broke off from the Ancients a long, long time ago, and developed a keen sense of hate for the demons that shared their mountain. A hate, that is so powerful, it becomes a tragic love if dwelled upon. No wars erupt between the two clans, because these demons are very similar in emotion; their feelings of raw lust, if nurtured, becomes a phenomenal love. These are the only demons that will unconditionally love only a _philos magnus_. The majority never learns of this ability, but those that do, and are discovered, are both killed quickly, like a diseased rodent ready to poison a family.

"Eldwin and Eldora managed to realize their love, and before they could be executed, they chose exile, running away from their home. But before they had gone far, a scout spotted them for what they were, and managed to shoot down Eldwin. Eldora screamed her fury, and nature's wrath was upon the killer in an instant. Then, as Eldwin faded away, Liona-san came to them, and promised Eldora that Eldwin could live again, if but she was willing to give up her nights for him, always, and together fulfill a task for her. She agreed immediately, worried that if she hesitated, he would be gone from her grasp. Up until meeting with Liona-san, the history is uncommon, but written down as the fate of one out of every hundred pairs. As for Liona-san, I sense that she is the type of person who will come when you're at your worst, and then recruit you as help, whether you realize it or not, and in turn significantly improve your outlook, at least, at first.

"I figured out the dawn and dusk part simply because that was the point in which one appeared and the other reappeared. We only see Eldwin at night, and we've only seen Eldora when it was still light. Technically, she _did_ grant you the ability to be together, but it is a bit like being doubly cursed. First, to know you are sharing a body, and yet not being able to truly feel each other for the greater part of the day and night. Second, the only time you may see eye to eye is for a few short moments when the sun rises and sets."

Sylphiel let out the small puff of air she had left, and nearly hyperventilated in her attempt to gain back the air she had lost. Once she had sufficiently recovered, she murmured, "What did I forget? I know I left out something..."

Zelgadis gulped and managed to answer, hardly above a whisper, "How about how you knew Liona planted the slugs and snails; why Liona gave us those pills; and how you know Eldwin once served Xellos' mistress. That is, if the rest is true."

Sylphiel smiled wanly, licked her lips, and began to explain again. "For the slugs and snails, after I realized how much Liona-san seemed to be a part of all this, it felt obvious. Liona... I'm not sure you can say she still is, but she _used_ to be Gourry and Lina-san's daughter, right? I believe she lived in Zephilia with Luna-san and them for the first fifteen, no, last thirteen years of her life, before she allegedly drowned. Well, in any case, she would have remembered what combination could distress her mother the most, now wouldn't she? With her new powers, or perhaps they can be considered old now, she could have easily placed one snail and one slug in there, and allowed them to multiply endlessly, and then cast a containment spell around the property to keep them in. As for how I know Eldwin once served Greater Beast Zelas... what better way to lure in the friends of her mother, than use the minion of her aunt's best friend?"

Letting out another long sigh, Sylphiel ended, "I think Liona-san deserves to answer that last question." Louder, she called, "Liona-san, I know you're listening to us, or rather, me. Won't you please come and explain the last bit of your plan?"

All was quiet, until a strong breeze whipped the flame higher as another force suddenly squashed it back down. There, floating above the licking flames, adorned in a fair pleasant gown of white silk, was the magically renouned Liona Inverse, the wandering healer, descendant of evil, good, and neutrality. She gave Sylphiel a light bow, and turned a cold smirk to the now human chimera, and the demon that had failed to cover up his tracks well enough.

A/N: Ahem, yes, you can tell I'm trying to end it rather quickly, no? Well, I figured, since it's so easy to figure out (well, maybe not _extremely_ easy, but easy enough), I'll just let Sylphiel spill the beans. Ah, but what will _Liona_ say? Ah, the fun that it could be... Review if you will- Please and thank you!


	9. Ch 9 Redemption for Idiocy

A/N: Ah, I just love my titles, don't you? XP I did this in one spurt really, and I really don't feel like checking over it, so I hope you can endure. Thx again for reading it btw.

Winged-Knight: grin soo glad to hear your questions- you may find them answered in this chapter, though I can't promise new ones won't pop up (which the reminding of will be graciously appreciated by em moi).

Maurice A. Nigma: You didn't know that about Liona? Sorry- was in the fics preceding this one (hmm...maybe I should label these timelines better...) I thought if I reminded readers of it earlier, it might give away more surprise. cough murder story huh? Um, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that that's a good thing... good luck of course though.

9- Redemption for Idiocy

All eyes were on the wandering healer, the child of their strongest true friends, the mastermind behind the current line of events. Her strawberry blonde hair rippled in the flames, her clothing slightly tattered, moving with the licks of flames, as if to make the impression that they were only viewing an apparition, an image in the fire. As the silence lengthened, Zelgadis growled, drumming his fingers on his thigh, irritated beyond comprehension by how much he had missed, and how much Sylphiel had caught. Perhaps that had been the most devastating blow- to his ego. It was simply unfathomable how _Sylphiel_ could piece together the puzzle before he had even tried, or rather, before he even realized he had the pieces in front of him. He had _known_ Liona for God's sake- how could he have missed her involvement so completely?

Sylphiel, on the other hand, felt breathless with silent relief that she had even got all that out. She knew she had been pushing her luck, her intuitive smarts, but Eldwin's confirmations encouraged her to plow through it. The rambling had apparently born results. Liona was before them, either in person or in projectile fashion, it didn't matter- she had been summoned, and without need of a ward. Now she had to fill in the last puzzle piece, and all would be well. At least, she hoped so. Sylphiel may have had a rather rare spilling of deductive reasoning, but she was far from being so in reality- she knew it was only a temporary boost. While still in effect, however, her mind repeated the same question over and over in her mind. _Why? _

Eldwin remained as grave as the others, probably even more somber. Now facing his savior, he knew the consequences of his acquiece. He'd hoped that he would be the one to break it to them, in passing also wishing that his Mistress wouldn't be brought into it, but that seemed inevitably part of the plan. His skimish with the post-chimera had simply been a more forceful reminder of what he had given up. What his Mistress wanted the chimera to learn. Even if she had to make drastic measures. She most likely wouldn't, out of pure spite, but then, in the eventual string of things, his Mistress was ultimately kind, generous, and a good samaritan. He almost snorted at that. Reborn in the body of his dragon lover, by someone purged of true evil. She had her moments of course, but she wasn't really _evil_. It would take someone else a while to understand that though, given the circumstances of _anyone_ who knew her at all. His mind was blank of questions, knowing the end result of it all. She had confided in him, and he would keep that trust until the grave, if he had to.

Zelgadis finally spat out with impatience, "_Well?_ Aren't you going to _say_ anything? Like why the heck (you know I'd use stronger words if I, ahem, wanted to) you planted all this on us? Why you allowed us pills that cured my body only to put it through a huge series of tests, or somehow boosted Sylphiel's power, or rescued _him_ from the jaws of death? What- are you going to suddenly put it on a new quest to save the world and all that rubbish? It's not like we can really _do_ anything now, could we? And _you_, you'd probably wait until everyone was dead and then wipe the enemy out effortlessly. After that fall so many years ago, you must have been reborn a monster. You show nearly all the signs of that...that fruitcake- mystery, suspiciousness, power, and all."

Sylphiel wanted to groan aloud at his words, knowing full well that very little of it was right, though she couldn't be sure any longer what the _correct_ take on it was. She had to admit, however- those were awfully direct questions, some of which she wouldn't mind hearing the answers to.

Soon enough, she had it. Liona stared down at the resentful chimera, icy steel glittering in the light of the flames. Though the gaze wasn't directed at her, Sylphiel was almost certain Liona-san held a certain loathing for her chimera- erm, ex-chimera friend. "As if I'd trust a world-changing quest with the likes of _you_. There _was_ a reason why I entrusted _two_ sets of pills to her. You realize though, taking the other pill sooner would have been much better for you. Even if you took it now, inside, you will always be the pansy inheritor of a rich estate, and therefore, a weakling. No magic can change that, if that is how you intend to be. And FYI, I'm no monster- I'm more human than you, even though you were _born_ the same as I. If you honestly think only monsters can hide their true strength..." she paused long enough to shake her head in disgust.

Eventually, she opened her eyes again, boring them into Zelgadis', who was now fully aware that fear was seeping into his skull, flowing through his veins. "As to my reasoning?" She took another deep breath and exhale before answering, "Sylphiel's green pills were made from a special magical herb that grows with supernatural health near the domain of Deep Sea Dolphin. By no means is it tainted with evil- its will is so much stronger than that... well, that's the basic element to it. The plant and pill release the being's ultimate pool of potential, one that few have been able to completely tap into. Releasing it like a waterfall over the barriers of the mind... it makes it only natural that your power, your reflexes, your reasoning, increases by the amount of potential within you. I've always known that Sylphiel had great potential, in any aspect really, but she always held back, afraid to- well, I'll let her fill you in on that, if she wants."

Sylphiel half smiled in response, but said nothing. Liona continued. "Eldwin's case... I never saw the point in making dragons and monsters enemies. The strongest entities in our plane shouldn't have to spend their time fighting the other. Greater Beast Zelas knows of this, and that is why she was able to befriend the Knight of Celphieed, despite their apparent differences. Deep Sea Dolphin has also realized it, to an extent, and has chosen to hole up within in her own domain rather than deal with everything else that occurs around it. In any case... I suppose I just wished to have an example of the power they could possess if they just set aside their age old compulsions and... joined forces. The world has yet to see what the Entity L (pronounced 'el' as in, the beginning of Eldora and Eldwin :P) is capable of."

Liona paused again, seeming to allow all of her anger and resentment seep into her voice as she spoke of Zelgadis. "And _you_. There is only one reason why I even bothered to put your cure into the exchange. Because you. are. a. _complete. _idiot. The worst kind of idiot that refuses to believe he's an idiot. Denial can only be allowed to go on for so long. The first idiocy was to wish to be stronger, and later wish to be back the way you were, not thinking that the strength you wanted in the first place would have to leave with it. The second idiocy was shunning the love of those around you, those who cared, and those who _would_ have cared, had you given them more to work with. The third idiocy was in believing that a little optimism would kill you. Three things, strung together, that make you either the lowest sort of human, or, as you really are, an evil greater than the world has ever known, but only to yourself. I would gladly put you out of your misery, but I can't. It simply pierces my skull that you are, in fact, a distant relative. That is, a relative descended from two pieces of Shabrinigdo. You want to know why you yourself could never find the cure you were looking for? It's because it doesn't _exist_."

After allowing her words to sink in for a few moments, she continued, still resentful. "All Lord Rezo did to you was awaken the inner beast- you were a mixed breed from the start. In all reality, what Rezo did to you, is what I did for Sylphiel. You just don't realize it because she's not born from monsters. The only way to cure yourself of, yourself, is to kill yourself. But that, should _never_ be considered a cure because darn it (ahem, yes, I'm extremely set on not actually cursing, though you probably know the replacement word I'm thinking of) people already started caring about you since before you were even born. Together, we are eternally a phoenix, born from our ashes to be given another chance. Alone, we are nothing but soot. Dirty, repulsive, soot. That's the only reason why the emotion of 'love' means anything at all. Because true love is untainted, and in time, purifies our souls and bodies. And once purified, the heart struggles to undignify itself again, and that alone repulses the remaining soot of others. I suppose my real meaning is this: The only cure worth having is the love of another, a mutual, unconditional love. And because of your selfishness, _your_ love will die. And you will live on in tortured existence."

Zelgadis immediately became shell-shocked at the thought of Amelia dying, the reference finally bleeding into his heart. "A-amelia? No... don't let it be her... she doesn't deserve to die..."

Liona scoffed in blatant agreement. "Of course she doesn't. But like you could have been, she is a thoroughbred human, and will die because of it. Like I said, together we are like the phoenix, constantly reborn from our ashes, but because we have spread apart so much, it becomes more difficult to group enough of us together to cause a rebirth. It doesn't matter, but I will not be the source of her death. Neither will anyone involved with me. In fact, until she recovers, I will be sure to protect her, like you never could."

Peace reigned over them all, an eerie silence broken only by the crickets from afar. Eventually, Sylphiel manage to squeak, "Why did you plant slugs and snails in the Inverse property, your old home, then? Zelgadis-san had nothing to do with that, and you of all people must be aware of how your- how Lina feels about them."

As she shifted her gaze to the shrine maiden, Liona softened her expression considerably, even allowing a similar smile to grace her lips. There was a forelorn loneliness in her eyes, smoldering in the flame as she replied to her. "It's been seven long years. Can you blame a girl for getting a little homesick? Truth be told, those creatures are actually quite helpful- zap them with the right spell, and you have an army of soldiers, cleaning servants, cooks, and whatever else you can think of. The Knight of Celphieed knows this, and will no doubt appreciate it, after the terror that Mazolina's copies became. Most likely, out of simply keeping up appearances, she will find a way to punish Lina and her spouse, in any case. Again, the stupidity of humans reigns on. I knew you would be drawn into the open on the way there, so I found you, gave you the pills, and sent you on your way."

Sylphiel kept her eyes locked on those of Liona's, searching for... something she couldn't place exactly. Then, like a small projectile, it hit her, nearly sending her reeling. Comprehesion dawned on her, and she smiled, lowering her head, and chuckled lightly. Zelgadis was still wallowing in self... contemplation. After all, it's not everyday someone calls you an idiot, lists the reasons, and thus making you question if you hadn't gone about your life the right way at all. The fact that he was supposedly a "distant" relative of Inverses, and along with that, of two Shabringdo vessels. There had only been two pieces ever awakened, one being that of his grandfather, the other being Lei Magnus of a millenia past. Inverses were descended from Magnus and the Dark Lord... no wonder they were so freakishly strong and at the same time, still human.

Eventually, Zelgadis forced himself to speak, though it came out as a low croak. "What happens now?"

A long period of silence followed, making Zelgadis look up out of curiosity. Liona was gone. Eldwin however, had the answer to his query. "You find your heart, and then follow it to the ends of the earth." Sylphiel said nothing, except to say that dinner was ready.

In the distance, Liona sighed to herself. Stupid, _stupid_ chimera boy. It made her angry every time she thought of him. She'd given Sylphiel the knowledge of the extent that things could be salvaged, and took heart in that. Along with that knowledge came the oath to never relate this information directly or conspicuously. With a little luck, her childhood companion would actually make a comeback to life. She hoped. She wished. Almost as much as she wanted to be back with her family, her humanoid family, strange as it was. _I wish I could hold you in my arms again, Mommy dearest, but I'm afraid I'll accidentally kill you. I only hope now that you take relief in knowing that I'm all right, knowing that if you're ever in danger, I'll protect you. Even from the people you think are your friends._

A/N: Hmm...I stink at reactions, don't I? Maybe it has something to do with not... caring enough? I dunno. I like Liona though, what she is, what she represents. Maybe I'm biased as her creator, but what the hey- that's the stuff of fanfictions. Reviews appreciated. Reminders of things you still want to know- will be duly noted. Ciao.


	10. Ch 10 Hark the Killjoy

A/N: Alright, for a quick title FYI- I never really understood what context "kill joy/killjoy" should be used in, so please forgive if it isn't right. -sigh- That's what I get for not caring about fanfics enough to do research...  
Winged Knight: You know, now I'm curious- where in my story did you first start following it? CuzLiona starts out in Slayers Medallion, and goes on in Liona's Quest, too. Mmm... Well, I can't say if this will answer your questions but... I dunno, it may add a few, too. Enjoy!

Maurice A. Nigma-grins sheepishly- Aw shucks, you mean it- Thanks much. And it was supposed to be inspiring. Well, at least it did something.

Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers or anything else that isn't mine to own.

Ch. 10- Hark the Killjoy

_'It's just over this bluff.'_ Zelgadis sighed wearily as he trudged up the incline, putting one foot before the other almost mechanically. He'd never realized how much of a difference there was between his chimera form and his human form. When he was a chimera, he'd been faster, he didn't need to eat as much, he didn't need much rest, he'd certainly been stronger than Sylphiel, and more analytical as well if his memory served him right. He would have easily struggled out of the ash dragons' grasp, and freed Sylphiel if need be. Sure, he could never really ride horses like in his childhood, but his demonic speed was most likely at least thrice as fast at full speed anyway. Maybe strangers looked at him with fear, mothers calling their children away from him, people called him a monster, but he still had friends, good friends. In fact, he wouldn't have met Lina at all if not for his chimeric body. He wouldn't have been looking for the insert rock in orihalcon statue if he hadn't wanted to use it to cure himself after all. _'Heh, and what happened to Rezo when _he_ succeeded in curing himself? Shabrinigdo took him over. Maybe I was just meant to stay cursed, too.'_ Maybe staying a chimera wouldn't be so bad after all. (Can you tell what my position is on the whole cursed Zel thing :3)

"Wow, I think I'm starting to get drunk already. How do the villagers work soberly at all"

Zelgadis snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at Eldora. With the coming of dawn, Eldwin had switched forms again, and he (Zel) found that, after one got used to it, the situation didn't seem all that bad. Now if he were joined with _Amelia_ like that... he wasn't one-hundred percent positive that she could stand him. What happened if the female counterpart was pregnant? Would the male have the same pains, the same swell, the same emotional turmoil? Zel fought to keep down the wave of curiosity that threatened to overwhelm him.

"You know, now that I think about it" Sylphiel paused, looking towards the numerous rows of vineyards and the specks that revealed farmhands already at work. "Lina-san's personality may have been affected by this atmosphere... Besides not getting drunk easily, I seem to remember that Zephilia's most popular motto by the people is 'Go out a farmer, come back a hero.' A pamphlet I read once said that the majority of heroes revered in today's world, or even in the past, originated somewhere in Zephilia."

Despite himself, Zelgadis laughed. "The Inverses would be a key example. Luna is the Knight of Celphieed, while being a part-time waitress. And Lina is the renowned Bandit Killer, who had a hand in saving the world at least half a dozen times, in between stealing from bandits to buy food and luxuries."

Eldora nodded, only half paying attention to what they were saying. As Zelgadis watched, he noted a tint of red creep into her cheeks, until, when they had reached the welcome sign for the nearest village, Lina's village, she swayed like a leaf in a breeze. It seemed that the very air had gotten her dizzy and drunk. As he had been in the lead, barely, Zel caught Eldora as she tipped forward, following gravity's pull on her down the slope. Unfortunately, the now human Zel could not fully carry the burden of a dragon and thus fell himself. Both dragon and human went tumbling, head over heels like a rocky boulder. Sylphiel scurried to follow them, though she was careful not to fall, too.

As luck would have it, their descent was brought to an abrupt stop with the unceasing vigilance of the broad tree stump in their path. The rest of the way down the incline was in the company of twittering birds around the heads of the two tumblers. Sylphiel hovered slightly over them, trying to heal their headaches away while they stumbled haphazardly in opposite directions, or sometimes collided with each other. To some extent, it had to be expected, considering they had descended almost seventy meters in that fashion.

A stirring peddler caught sight of them and quickly scrambled over himself to reach the weary travelers. His voice was quick, bumbling, and rather irritating to the two harborers of headaches. "Hello, hello, how do you do? The name's Jim, Jimmy boy you hear? I'm a peddler, yes, that I am. I've got glorious treasures to sell with you, I do. Much variety too, yes, yes. Would one of you lovely ladies like a piece of jewelry? A brooch? A necklace? A ring perhaps? Or would you, kind sir, like something for your sword? A polishing kit? A new sheath? Mayhaps another strap to tie it on with? I've got variety I do. Lots and lots of different things- and I say I give them a fair good price for 'em too. So, what do you say? Do you want to buy something? I've got everything in a whole bunch of different styles, different materials too."

Sylphiel sucked in a breath- listening to him had taken her last lungful of air for a second. Recovering, she smiled at the hobbling elder, but shook her head softly. "No thank you, Jim-san. We were actually on our way to visit the Inverses- do you know where we can find them?"

Jim's eyes widened perceptively, and he took a surprised step back, and then another. Before long, he had turned tail and run, wailing about how the town would be run over by monsters now that the word was out that their key protectors were out of commission.

Zelgadis, Eldora, and Sylphiel snapped their heads around to share a surprised, on-the-verge of panicked, glance. Headaches forgotten, they streamed after the fleeing messenger.

Although he was inspired, and the travelers weary, they managed to catch him in the town square. After being assured that they were _not_ monsters- during which Zelgadis and Eldora shared a nearly guilty look- Jim calmed down and explained that Luna was away on a business venture overseas still, and Gourry and Lina were currently in the whatever you call an herbal hospital type place- I'll call it a hospital for now due to a week long source of shock to the systems, rumored to be because a powerful adversary was keeping them out of their home.

While fighting down the urge to snicker at the exaggeration, Zelgadis prompted the peddler to show them where the hospital was. As he _was_ "on the clock", he had to be given a gold payment in advance before he acted as a guide. Eldora gave him a handful of gold pieces as carelessly as if she had just won a lottery. Zel and Sylphiel chose to remain silent at this, though both thought of how Lina would simply find her own way around an unknown village, as long as she knew it was safe (as in, unlike the Kataart mountains, which was a special occasion).

It wasn't long before they came to a stop at a small building that looked like it had been squeezed into an alley to fill a gap. Over the bead stringed door hung a sign that announced it as "Madame Fulliere's Magical Rehab" (I dunno, think what you want about it). The air within was thick with smoke, no, a stifling wave of herbal scents, ones that Sylphiel recognized as good for the body in both mind and spirit. The walls were completely covered in several heavily packed shelves, all with an assortment of bottles, jars, and random trinkets- a human skull candle holder and a dragon shedding among them. Following the thin path between rickety chairs, cluttered tables, and haphazard clothing thrown in any previously available space.

At the end of the road, therein lay the bodies of their two old friends, Lina and Gourry. Both were bed stricken, eyes gazing unseeingly with a burning that could surely have seared holes in the whitewashed ceiling. Lina was mumbling something intelligibly, and a thin line of saliva was making its descent from the side of Gourry's mouth. There was an interpretable chill in the air.

Steeling herself, Sylphiel leaned closer to Lina- whom happened to be closer to them- in an attempt to decipher her words. She caught snippets of self-dialogue, and suppressed the instinct to shudder from a second chill that raised goose bumps on her arms. "Don't move... I'll find you now... no, stop... don't move... I'm coming for you... please... wait... I won't hurt you... You can't hurt me... not anymore than you already have... please... come back to me... don't go... don't leave me again... I need you... I need you so much... my... my dearest-"

Then, with a sharp hiss, Lina blinked, and awoke from her trance. Gingerly, she groaned as she rubbed around her eyes, undoubtedly feeling a major migraine coming on. At that moment, there came an accompanying gasp as Gourry bolted up to a sitting position, looking all around like a fish caught out of water. He licked his lips hungrily as a faint murmur escaped him. "Food..."

"Sylphiel? Is that you?"

The shrine maiden turned back to the fiery woman before her, who, through the gaps between her fingers, was staring with rocky comprehension in her ruby depths. At her smile, Lina added"It _is_. What are you doing here? And-"

She had to stop at that, as she stared unwaveringly at the human behind Syphiel. The hair was a bit different, the skin too, even the clothes, but that look, that face, it had to be him. "ZELGADIS!" Lina now jolted up so that she was sitting on the bed, still staring. Gourry, attention caught by the exclamation on his wife's part, turned to look at what had attracted her disbelief. Then, he too, stared openly. A flushed Zelgadis turned his head to look at the red-spotted lizard, suspended in a green glob within an global jar, that suddenly appeared very interesting.

His instantaneous fascination with the reptilious corpse was broken by the grimy finger poking his cheek, as if by a child to a sleeping horse during an auction. The shout that followed did nothing to ease his embarrassment. "Hey! Zel's not stony anymore!"

There was an uneasy silence as if everyone were waiting for an added reply from Lina. It came in a cold, steeled voice that linked Luna and Lina as of the same blood. "Get away from him Gourry. _Now_. As Gourry stepped aside so that Zel had a clear look at Lina, Zel caught the dead lull in her once vibrant eyes. Even from his current vantage point, he could see the beads of sweat draining from Lina, following the path set for them by gravity's pull. Her eyelids were lowered, her lips parted slightly, further magnifying the zombie personality Lina seemed to be taking on now. But behind all that, he could sense two very strong emotions, ones he had felt for so long, it almost seemed as if he were looking back at himself now. Hatred... and heartbreak.

Softly, Sylphiel murmured"Lina...-san? Are you all right? What's wrong"

Her gaze flickered ever so slightly in her direction. After another foreboding silence, Lina spoke, or rather, she demanded"Where did you get your cure? And what was the extent of it"

Zelgadis suddenly became aware of the fact that Lina somehow _knew_ that her daughter was responsible for his cure...and she didn't look very pleased with knowing that. Knowing lying or evading would be useless here, he took a deep breath and told it straight. "Liona gave Sylphiel some pills. In case you didn't hear, Amelia had been, erm, affected by something that made her look akin to my chimera form. Sylphiel was one of many that went out in search of a cure- as I, an apparent stranger to Seyruun, was old news compared to the thought that their future queen looked monstrous. Liona's pills cured both her and me. She also gave Sylphiel a set of pills that apparently heightened her tapped potential- making her overall stronger than my human form. That's the gist of it."

Lina did not show the slightest bit of humor when Zel remarked that Sylphiel was stronger than him. She only continued her dull but equally piercing gaze as she prompted"_You_ saw her, didn't you? Don't lie."

Zel sighed. He wouldn't try even if he wanted to. "Yes, I saw her- half a day's walk from here actually. But we only saw an apparition in the fire- we didn't actually see her living, breathing form."

A low growl emitted from deep within her throat; a grimace was the only physical change about Lina. Eventually, she lowered her gaze to her clenched fist on her lap. "She's so close- I can feel her presence. I know she's strong now- to some extent, possibly stronger than my sister, and no doubt me. But... why won't she come home? Why won't she visit"

Eldora finally decided to make her presence known. She intoned gravely"She's afraid she'll hurt you."

Lina's head snapped up, as if suddenly realizing that Eldora was even there. Her eyes narrowed as she declared"A dragon. With a strong presence of... of _her_. Who are you"

After making a short, mocking bow, Eldora answered"An agent employed by your daughter to... do what she cannot."

With that, Eldora took a tentative step forward, and then another, and she was standing directly in front of Lina. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her arms, and embraced her. Tears flowed unchecked from Lina's eyes as she felt her spirit being wrapped by the energy of her daughter. The daughter she had lost so long ago. Groggily, she bent her arms around Eldora's waist, and let the messenger transcribe her pent-up emotions for her daughter.

A few moments passed, broken occasionally by a sob or sniff, before a scraggly word escaped Eldora's lips.

"M-ma... Mama..."

A/N: Bwahahaha... More stuff to confuse you with! Umm, if it's any explanation at all, I recently finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel, and if you've read it before, you know it's horrifically depressing and well... that feeling kinda seeps into my writing brain. Well, remember to review!


	11. Ch 11 Rendevous of Redheads

A/N-coughs nervously- Yes well, um...here's the next chapter. For future reference, I like Luna more than I do Lina, and therefore feel compelled to talk about her, if not actually show her in my fics, at least, any that have Lina in it. Besides, what's a superhero without her main fear?  
Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers.

Maurice A. Nigma- ..-blushes- aw shucks... thanks a million for that - I'm glad to hear I (or my writing) can be a source of inspiration (or of anything at all really). I'll try to eventually, okay? I'm kinda... umm... lax about reading sometimes (a.k.a. I can get awfully procrastinative) Oh, and a side comment before I forget- a little quote I heard that I felt like sharing. "A professional writer is just an amateur that didn't quit." - Good luck with your stories!

Winged Knight- Well, if it's any consolation... I hope they find peace in this chapter... but I'll let you (and all my other reader/readers) judge that. And -ahem- perhaps I can find a different "solution"... ;) Thanks for the review; hope to read more from you (if I can, I'll try to return the favor, though like I said about, I can get very procrastinate-happy) Enjoy!

11- Rendevous of Redheads

Lina pushed Eldora away so quickly, and so harshly, many vials and wooden tables were broken before Eldora concentrated enough to stop herself. Hovering an inch from the entrance wall, she tilted her head to one side, unhurt but confused. Tears still ran down the emotional mother's cheeks, though these were for a different reason. When she gave no signs of speaking in the terms of reason, a new voice penetrated the silence, a voice that automatically made Lina's back straighten, even as she wept.

"You have to understand- we've seen Liona die at least five times now, and each time, it's like having your dreams for the future ripped from under you. Only Lina could feel the full extent of this, especially after her time with the Lord of Nightmares. Only she could stand to live another day, even when fate keeps giving her back her daughter, only to jerk it away when she tries to get near. In sensing that it'll happen again, and soon, Lina would rather never see her daughter again, to lose her for good, then have to endure seeing her leave again. Am I right?"

Luna was leaning against the door, ankles and arms similarly crossed. As she finished, attention slowly swerved from her back to Lina, who hadn't moved a muscle since Luna had begun. When Lina opened her mouth to speak, no words came. She took an extra gulp, licked her parched lips, and a croak of a speech made itself known, though her gaze remained on the spot of blanket before her.

"Not... not _never_. As long as she's alive... no, no matter what, I'd always be happier to know that even if she leaves again, she's leaving _alive_. But if... if it comes to the point where... where my life finally comes to an end... and she's watching over me... I'd gladly die at her hand. Because... because I know that if she were to do it, I'd be at peace in my afterlife. Also... far into the future... if I am reborn... if she's still alive... I'd be glad to get to know her again... no, for the first time, get to know the real her. And if I had died by her hand, I... I don't think she'd have anything that could hurt me anymore. But before that time comes, yes, I'm happier just knowing she's all right." Lina took a deep breath and slowly added"However, that's not what made me pull away. It hurts me that even after all the years we watched her grow up... somewhat... she still finds a will to use her ability to control people. And to do that to our friends... that hurts me more than seeing her die another time. Far more."

Zelgadis couldn't resist. Despite the obvious deep, dark secrets that were being unveiled here, his curiosity wanted her to expound on that last part. "What do you mean by... her ability to control people?"

Lina seemed unsurprised by the question, but just as she was about to answer, Gourry sat down next to her and held both of her hands in one of his. Then, taking the travelers outside the family by surprise, he too, began a small speech after a fashion.

"We found out maybe a week ago, and by then it was far too late for us. Every female Inverse since the daughter of Angelina has had the innate ability to control any single creature- human, demon, and animal alike- that the Inverse has used magic of any kind on. So theoretically, if Lina so wished to activate it, if they're still alive, she could have every bandit that survived one of her... escapades at her command, to do with what she pleased. Heck, if she knew about it then, after casting a weak spell on him, she could have had that piece of _Shabrinigdo _do her bidding. But, then again, the stronger the being attempting to be controlled, the harder it is to get them to do what you want. Even a little mindful influence probably helped Lina defeat him in the end though. And Luna... she's known ever since she became the Knight of Celphieed- it was the power of the first Knight that was passed down to them after all. And-"

"...that's why Lina's always been so scared of her..." Sylphiel ended with an awed whisper. Lina only nodded limply in agreement.

Zelgadis, however, was thinking of it on a different track. "So, right now, at any moment, she could make Sylphiel, Eldora, and me do whatever she wanted?"

Luna let a low exhale and called"It's larger even then that. You know, I came back early for a reason. Lina, were you aware that Liona has been going all over the world, healing people, helping to improve people throughout these years? She's even got _the Mazoku Lords_ on her side. Of course, they probably aren't even aware of it yet, but seriously, do you know what she could do with so many people, so many people she helped grow stronger, what she could accomplish?"

Eldora spoke weakly, suddenly feeling a bit under the weather, "World domination comes to mind..."

Lina shook her head fiercely. "No! No matter what, she... she would never do something as drastic as that. I've heard the rumors- of the wandering healer that asks for nothing and yet seems to give the people she meets a whole new aspect to life... From her time as a child, I know she interacted a lot with the Mazoku Lords... considering all things, I wouldn't be surprised if she found a way to work her magic on them too. Heck, she did it to _us_. No, not just that, we unintentionally _wanted_ her to. We helped her harness her magic at first in any case. I don't know what she's planning, if she's planning anything at all, but... but... as my daughter, I believe in her, I believe she'll choose the right path. If not just for her, then for all of us..."

"Mama no baka. I'd never use you like that. I... I just don't want to fight anymore."

Heads swiveled to Eldora, but she held her hands up defensively and shook her head. It was not coming from her. Lina's eyes widened slowly in realization, before she scrambled out of bed, across the disarray caused by Eldora's flying body, and out the door. They only heard one faint whisper the whole way. "She's here... Liona's _here_" The rest of the company quickly followed her.

At the end of the dusty trail, in the centre of the Inverse home, they found Lina, kneeling on the wooden boards, clutching something to her heart. They approached cautiously, all but Luna and Gourry stopping in the doorway. There were no slugs or snails to be seen.

Placing a hand on Lina's shoulder, Gourry crouched down to see what Lina was holding. From the long golden chain flowing between her fingers, he knew, he remembered. It was Liona's medallion. The medallion that had allowed Liona to first return from the clutches of Greater Beast Zelas. The medallion Liona had carried more or less her whole life. The medallion that had allowed her unfathomable powers and immortality. Liona was nowhere in sight.

It started softly, so softly that Gourry wasn't sure at first that it was being said at all, amidst the slow but steady stream of tears. Lina was chanting a spell. A woven spell not her own. One that seemed more like a wish than a spell at all.

"If... you... dream a little dream, wish a little wish, I... will... see... you... at... the... end.  
If... you... know your love is strong, stronger than the rest, I... will... be... your... friend.  
If... you... keep this little token, close to your heart, I... will... come... for... you.  
If... you... want to see me too, don't fret your caring heart, I... will... know... you... do.  
If... you... can cast the greatest spell, control the best of the worst, I... can... too.  
If... you... can break the strongest seal, transcend time and space, I... will... too.  
If... you... have the strongest faith, in yourself and me, I... will... too.  
If... you... can... say... this... with me... I... will... see... you... soon...  
If... fryu... wil... tu. (Pronounced: If you will too)"

During the spell, which was more like a melancholy song, Lina had been glowing a warm maroon. When she stopped, so did the glow, but in disappearing, it seemed to collect into the medallion, and then project itself out of Lina's grasp in the luminescent spiritual form of the medallion, intricate to every detail of the white dragon upon it. When it had risen a fair distance, and all eyes were on it, the medallion spoke, though the voice was obviously Liona's.

"I'll come back a hero, Mama. I promise. Minna (Everyone), please take care of Mama for me until then, won't you? I love you all, and I hold you close to my heart always."

And with that, the medallion disappeared, but the warmth left in Liona could still be felt by all. Finally, after such a long time of letting her depression get the better of her, Lina let a small smile form on her lips, as well as the words, "Same here, Liona, same here. I'll become a different sort of hero, that's my promise. I hope you're being taken care of well, too. I love you more than quite likely life itself, and nothing will ever tear you from your place in my heart. Until we meet again, Farewell... my daughter."

-End Story->

A/N: I know, short ain't it? And they didn't exactly _meet_ meet, but...I couldn't help it; it seemed the best way to end it, as far as short notice can go. I'll still put an epilogue in though, if nothing else, to keep in sync with my other fics. Did you enjoy this story? I'd love to hear from you, signed in review or not. Ciao!

P.S. If you think Gourry is OOC, just think, live long enough with Luna Inverse and something _will_ improve. (Plus, he's like 40 something now)


	12. Epilogue and Ending Notes

A/N: First and foremost, I simply _must_ thank Winged Knight and Maurice A. Nigma for sticking with me for this story. As short as it was, in comparison to some, I still really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: If I didn't own it in the beginning, what makes you think I own it now? Sheesh...weirdos... :P

Epilogue

"So that's it then? That's your mother-daughter 'closure'? It's over?"

With a wry smirk, Lina slowly got to her feet, and turned to face Zel. "That depends- when is _what_ over? Liona's not dead- but I'm coping with her not being able to see her on a daily basis. I don't know about your cure Zel, or Sylphiel's apparent 'improvement', or erm... sorry, just who are you anyway?" She was now looking at Eldora, who bowed in response.

"Eldora's the name, Miss Inverse. As I said before, I was employed to among other things, escort your friends here. As to the snails and slugs, I apologize on your daughter's behalf, though even I cannot offer the reason for their temporary occupancy in your humble abode."

There was a mysterious glint in Lina's eyes then, but it soon passed. Shaking it off, she took a deep breath before smiling grandly at her small audience and gestured, "Well, whatever. I suddenly feel starved. Whatd'ya say we all go and eat at a restaurant? My treat even."

"Not just yet." Luna's assertive voice sent a noticable chill through her sister. "If you'll look around, you'll notice that though the snails _themselves_ have left the premises, the fact remains that their body residue has _not_. Therefore, before you even so much as _plan_ going anywhere, I suggest you start cleaning- and as compensation for the weeks without customers or housekeeping during my absence, no magic will be used in the process. Now get to it."

Lina blinked at her older sister for one moment before swiftly turning to her friends. "Hey guys, you up for another adventure? It's called 'Operation Clean-up'. Whaddya say?"

An idle thought crossed Zel's mind, one that wondered if _this_ was the reason Liona had planned all this- to help Lina clean up the place. No, he decided soon thereafter, she wouldn't have such petty reasons as that.

"Sure, Lina, I'll help." (Zel)

"Yes, you can count on me!" (Sylphiel)

"Of course I will- I'm your guardian aren't I?" (Gourry)

"Well, since I'm here, I might as well." (Eldora)

"All right then- let's get this party started!" (Lina)

"Oh, and Lina? One more thing- be done by the start of the dinner rush (that's two hours)." (Luna)

Needless to say, dust flew in the rampage of rushed cleaning- but hey, at least Lina didn't have to do it alone. As Zel was still experiencing a few technical difficulties (a.k.a. he's extremely weak), Lina had him dusting, mopping, and wiping surfaces. Gourry and Eldora assisted with lifting furniture to clean underneath those as well. Sylphiel controlled the kitchens, helping Lina to wash dishes before preparing the evening meal. In addition to dishes, Lina ran upstairs to change the sheets, supervise the cleaning process, and make sure everything was nice and tidy. Technically, Zel and Sylphiel probably had the most work, but considering Gourry and Lina were up until recently bedridden, and Lina didn't really know Eldora, it was an accepted exchange of roles. Luna remained in her room, two hour glasses at the ready, chalking up the accounts, budgets, and all that paperwork. Once that was cleared out of the way, she gathered the normal staff and had them spread the news that the Inverse Inn (no alliteration originally intended) was now back in session.

Luckily, Lina-tachi _did_ finish within the "time limit" and were therefore allowed nice long baths before joining the customers with food orders. As expected, the Inverse household was surprised to see Eldwin in the place of Eldora (who was nowhere to be seen). Once that situation had been summarized, they accepted him/her to their table of sorts, but only as a useful acquaintance (just a tad like Xellos ;P ).

As dinner drew to a close, Eldwin's eyes blanked out momentarily, just enough to catch the attention of Sylphiel and Zel, before reverting back to normal. He stood, which attracted much more attention, and suggested that they all go outside to "view the stars", at least, according to what he said. Still, as it wasn't a bad idea, the group complied readily.

Outside, surrounded by medium-sized trees, lying on the soft sea of grass, the stars seemed to glitter with more intensity than any night previous. Perhaps it was because there was no moon to deflect their light; in any case, the sight was simply breathtaking. And then it started.

The skies erupted in flashes of red, of gold, of blue, of purple- starting out like the rays from the sun, and soon becoming noticeable as specific pictures. A purple chibi Luna, followed by a yellow haired Gourry jellyfish, and then a chimeric Zel head. After that, Sylphiel's face came into view, holding up two fingers in the traditional victory sign, preceding what Eldwin said was Eldora's full dragon form, accompanied by Eldwin's human form. The last picture it seemed, was the one of Lina. Outlined in red, intricate even to each individual amulet on her suit, was a chibi form of Lina, which also resembled Liona, to an extent. Then- words appeared in a rainbow fashion. The very skies read, "In remembrance of all that you've done for me, let today be known simply as, 'Independence Day'." Below it, the delicate signature of Liona Inverse was air scripted. The magical bursts in the air returned to the original ray model, but for the group lying in the grass, the memory was fresh, would remain fresh for as long as they lived.

_Independence Day_.

A/N: Yes well, had to have _some_ reason for fireworks :P

And now, a few extra notes in case you missed them (or I didn't mention them):

Because Liona was resurrected by a "God" under the power of the Lord of Nightmares, She will live on until she is murdered by her kin (an Inverse) or she takes her own life. Human aging and assassination attempts just won't affect her. (If you're asking how she could survive her head getting chopped off, it's simple: her skin is hardened so that nothing can penetrate it)

Liona doesn't have anything planned for her civilian army just yet. I'm determined not to make her evil, or bent on world domination. That is like _so_ last century ;(:) Depending on whether I come up with something or not, you might see a sequel of sorts, so watch for it, but don't expect it to be soon in coming. (Voiced wishes for one such sequel might help the process of thinking of one in the first place)

Zel's cure is removable, as mentioned before, by the white pills. The reason why she said it would have been better if he'd taken it earlier, was because the longer he stays human, the more human he _becomes_. Therefore, he'll start to feel the pangs of hunger and fatigue a lot more than even now, as well as being subjected to the dangers presented to normal humans. He can, of course, relearn magic and swordsmanship with more ease than the Average Joe (like Gourry maybe) but it'll still take some time.

Sylphiel's magical boost is only temporary, just long enough for her to realize what it could be like if she let some of her quirks behind. With the "help" of Luna and Lina, she's sure to improve her tapped potential on her own standards, so she'll be all right.

Eldora has completely accepted that her love, Eldwin, will always be with her now, even in death, so she's appeased and not at all resentful at the thought of her body being taken over every night. She happens to enjoy the transition point (at sundown and sun up) anyway. ;)

She'll help around the Inverse place for a little while before returning to the Kataart mountains.

Speaking of going places, Zel will go back to Seyruun a little after Eldora leaves, and accept his role as King with Amelia as his Queen. I haven't gotten around to naming or putting a gender on their child, but that's at least eight of their months in coming. (It's not a chimeric baby either) Hmm... Perhaps I'll have Naga in for a visit just in time for them to name the baby... ;) Or Martina... XD

Eventually, Luna will relinquish Lina from her restaurant duties so she can open up her own antique/treasure store. With Gourry to help with transportation, and Sylphiel along for on-the-spot training lessons (for acquiration of goods), she's bound to be mucho successful. Meanwhile, Luna still has her Knight of Celphied duties to attend to...so XP

Hmm...what else? Oh-

Liona will continue watching over her network of past friends and family, while she goes on curing the people who need curing in the world (stopping short of those who would be worse off with a cure, no matter how desperate). You're wondering how she makes money, if she doesn't charge for her healing services, mmm? Well, let's just say, if dragons need exercise, she'll scatter their treasure, bless any willing female dragons with babes to carry on the family name, and let them go off and find their treasure again. Oh, and she swipes as many coins as necessary along the way. (Though in truth, she doesn't actually need to eat or sleep anyway)

Oh, what was Xellos grounded for? Hmm... hold on, I forgot for a few moments... well, if I didn't tell you an answer beforehand, it was that he had a party (of sacrifices) in his astral plane "bedroom" and didn't clean up after himself before Zelas (Momma dearest) found out. :P

Any more questions, you can ask in a review- I'll just add onto this chapter come next week (so watch for it)

Hmm... well, that seems to just about cover it. -nods to self- As always, reviews are loved!

In case you want to know more about Eldora/Eldwin, here's their bios (don't look back at the story and find the clashes, because I'm not before I write this)

Eldora fi Napoli:

Known as: Eldora

Job or Status: _philos magnus_

Slayers Equivalent: a dragon of the Kataart mountains cousin to Ancient dragons

Age: Perhaps a century or so older than Filia? I dunno, it doesn't really matter as a dragon; she looks to be in her mid-20's- also comparable to Filia

Hair: Jade (green)

Hairstyle: Drapes over shoulders to waist

Eyes: I don't think I ever mentioned it... cerulean blue I suppose

Height: Around 5' 7"... -sigh- I'm getting to feel that even _I_ don't know much about her...

Official Outfit: Pale green gown of silk that comes down to knees; sleeveless and without noticeable trim; wears jade slippers magically protected from dirt and whatnot; gold earrings and gold chain necklace

Dragon Form: Ice blue flying dragon... serious features like Milgasia... white mane whereas Filia has gold... jagged tail like a spiked bludgeon

Aura Color: A luminescent icy blue

Personality: In human form, outside of actual business, she goes by the saying, "If you have it, flaunt it"; she's more of an actor than some might believe (no damsel in distress for sure); overall friendly, somewhat mysterious, bizarrely happy

Strengths: Using her surroundings to her advantage

Weaknesses: Anything in regards to Eldwin, her closest friend, her lover, and the spirit that inhabits her body during the night

Abilities/Powers: Calls forth Nature to take care of her enemies; Freeze Blast (like Filia's main beam attack except it's blue and it makes its target frozen solid)

Main Power: Worthy of the title "Damsel who plays her own Savior" meaning... she may look like she's in distress, but all the while, she's defeating her opponent too

Personal Love: Eldwin, her demonic counterpart

Personal A/N: I honestly don't know how I came up with Eldora/Eldwin, but... I dunno, there's something appealing, isn't there?

Eldwin mer Kushio:

Known as: Eldwin

Job or Status: _solihp sungam _(Eldora's status backwards)

Slayers Equivalent: a demon of the Kataart mountains cousin to Gold dragons

Age: As old as Eldora, perhaps a decade or two older; looks to be mid-20's, more mature than Eldora

Hair: Silky Blonde

Hairstyle: Down to shoulder blades but held together in low ponytail

Eyes: gentle sapphire

Height: Around 5' 9"

Official Outfit: Fair blue tunic fringed in black and darker blue leggings; black fingerless gloves; worn opaque boots; no cape or "jewelry"

Demon Form: Black... other info N/A

Aura Color: A luminescent dark blue to black

Personality: Comparable to Xellos; hides secrets without saying Xel's trademark phrase; generally happy; acts like a player...; overall friendly

Strengths: Using the shadows to make surprise attacks

Weaknesses: Anything in regards to Eldora, his closest friend, his lover, and the owner of the body that he inhabits during the night

Abilities/Powers: Keen swordsmanship, on par with chimera Zel; dark energy beam (from triangle hand formation) equal in power to an unamplified Dragon Slave

Main Power: Deadly blade, knows just how to corner opponent

Personal Love: Eldora, his draconic counterpart

Personal A/N: I honestly don't know how I came up with Eldora/Eldwin, but... I dunno, there's something appealing, isn't there?

A/N: Alrighty, as they say- T-t-t-that's all folks! Again, reviews appreciated!


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